The Ultimate Buyers Guide to Moissanite: All you need to know to purchase your dream jewellery!
- 5 Reasons to Choose Moissanite
- The 4 C’s: cut, colour, clarity & carat.
- How to Care for Moissanite.
Moissanite is a popular alternative to natural diamonds, and for good reason. It is created with precision, which ensures that it is consistent in quality. In addition, it has all the characteristics that we love in a diamond and actually shows more of them.
1. Moissanite has a fascinating history.
Moissanite is lab-created because it is so rare to find in nature that almost all Moissanite used in jewellery is created and grown in a laboratory. Moissanite has a fascinating history of discovery, having literally come from the stars. Natural Moissanite is believed to have come to Earth via meteorites, and only to a few places. Its lab creation means that the moissanite in your jewellery is chemically almost identical to that which was brought to earth. It’s also the reason why you may hear Moissanite being referred to as ‘space diamonds’ or ‘stardust gemstones’.
2. Moissanite is known as the ethical ‘diamond alternative’.
It is considered both ethical and sustainable, making it a great alternative to naturally mined diamonds. Unlike many diamonds on the market, moissanite can be traced back to its origin, leaving buyers with no worries about the ethics of their diamond’s source. Moissanite can naturally occur but are very rare and expensive so much of the Moissanites available for modern jewellery are lab-grown silicon carbide stones, an alternative to conventional mined diamonds.
3. Moissanite has more ‘Fire’ than a natural diamond.
One of the most notable features of moissanite is its ‘fire’. The gemstone contains optical properties that exceed those of diamonds (a higher RI- refractive index), which means they are more brilliant (sparkle) and fierier (rainbow colours) than mined diamonds. This means they are like a diamond but with even more of the beautiful moving fire inside them that many love. The larger the stone, the more noticeable it is, so do check that you’re happy with this.
4. Moissanite comes in all the colours of diamonds.
Moissanite is available in a variety of colours, from colourless and white to sky blue, teal, and green, just like mined diamonds. You have as much choice with Moissanite as you do with diamonds, if not more.
The gemstone contains optical properties that exceed those of diamonds (a higher RI- refractive index), which means they are more brilliant (sparkle) and fierier (rainbow colours) than mined diamonds. This means they are like a diamond but with even more of the beautiful moving fire inside them that many love.
5. Moissanite is one of the most durable stones you can buy for jewellery.
Moissanite is one of the most durable stones you can buy for jewellery. This makes it perfect for sustainable engagement rings, heirloom jewellery, and fine jewellery that you want to wear for many years to come. Unlike diamonds, which have naturally occurring flaws that must be measured, Moissanite is created perfect. This means there are usually no inclusions or cloudiness.
Moissanite has a hardness of 9.5 on the Mohs scale compared to a diamond’s perfect 10 (the hardest of gemstones). The next gemstone on the chart is ruby and sapphire at 9, while Moissanite is 9.25. This means that it’s the second hardest gemstone on the market after diamonds.
5. Moissanite is an affordable alternative to diamonds.
Moissanite is an affordable alternative to a diamond. It has an incredibly similar look to diamonds (almost identical except with testing), but it’s also far more pocket-friendly than a diamond. You can either save the difference in the price of a diamond for something else or use it to buy a bigger, more impressive piece of Moissanite jewellery. Nobody will ever know unless you tell them that it’s not a mined diamond. Or if you’re ethically conscious, let them know, as the gemstone is so beautiful in its own right.
How to Care for Moissanite
Moissanite is a very durable gemstone, but it can pick up grime and dirt from wear. To maintain its sparkle, it’s important to give it a clean every so often.
The easiest way to clean your Moissanite jewellery at home is to use a drop of mild washing-up liquid in warm water. Leave your piece of jewellery to soak for 20 minutes or so and check it. If there is still some dirt, then take a soft toothbrush and gently clean the dirt away. A toothbrush is great at getting into all those awkward places in gemstone settings.
For a deeper clean or if you don’t want to do this at home, then take your Moissanite jewellery to a jeweller for a professional clean. It’s worth getting the item checked to make sure its setting and other jewellery parts have not worn, risking your stone falling out or the item becoming lost due to failed clasps, for instance.
As Moissanite is so hard, you will need to store it carefully to avoid it being scratched by less durable gemstones, which is all of them except diamonds (which could potentially scratch your Moissanite if not protected from scraping against each other). Its own small pouch is usually the best storage method and then placed in a jewellery box or jewellery roll.
Choosing Moissanite Jewellery
How to evaluate Moissanite…
- Moissanite Cut
There’s a broad choice in cut for Moissanite gemstones. From briloiant round cut, to rose cut and fancy cut , like pear, emerald, oval, marquise, etc. Faceted cut gemstones display soarkle and fiery brilliance, whilst other cuts hold characteristics of romanticism, depth , clarity and other attractive properties.
- Moissanite Colour
Moissanite most commonly displays the colourless or icy hues that we expect to see in white diamonds. However we can also find them in an array of other interesting varieties, such as greys, blues, greens and pinks.
- Moissanite Clarity
Unlike naturally mine diamonds, which have naturally occurring flaws that must be measured. Moissanite’s lab growth means there are usually no inclusions or cloudiness visible, giving you a beautifully clear and shiny gemstone every time. In fact, there
- Moissanite Carat Weight
Diamonds are measured in carat weight (or parts of a carat), whilst Moissanite is measured in millimeters. However, Moissanite is also less dense than a diamond. So for example a 4mm round brilliant cut diamond would weigh in at around 0.25 carats. Whilst a Moissanite of the same shape might weigh around 0.22 carats). This is approximately 10% in weight difference.
Concluding Points on Moissanite
- Moissanite is a popular alternative to natural diamonds, and for good reason. It is created with precision, which ensures that it is consistent in quality. In addition, it has all the characteristics that we love in a diamond and actually shows more of them.
- Moissanite is lab-created because it is so rare to find in nature that almost all Moissanite used in jewellery is created and grown in a laboratory.
- Moissanite has a fascinating history of discovery, having literally come from the stars. So you may hear Moissanite being referred to as ‘space diamonds’ or ‘stardust gemstones’.
- Moissanite is known as the ethical ‘diamond alternative’. It is considered both ethical and sustainable, making it a great alternative to naturally mined diamonds.
- One of the most notable features of moissanite is its ‘fire’. The larger the stone, the more noticeable it is.
- Moissanite is one of the most durable stones you can buy for jewellery. This makes it perfect for sustainable engagement rings, heirloom jewellery, and fine jewellery that you want to wear for many years to come.
- Finally, it’s important to note that Moissanite requires proper care and maintenance to maintain its sparkle over time. A drop of mild washing-up liquid in warm water is an easy way to clean your Moissanite jewellery at home.
- For a deeper clean or if you don’t want to do this at home, then take your Moissanite jewellery to a jeweller for a professional clean . As Moissanite is so hard, you will need to store it carefully to avoid it being scratched by less durable gemstones . Its own small pouch is usually the best storage method and then placed in a jewellery box or jewellery roll.
