You have a wedding, an anniversary dinner or a gala coming up, and you want something that catches the light. Moissanite keeps coming up. Here is what it is, how it compares to diamond, and where it falls short, so you can decide for yourself.
What moissanite is
Moissanite is silicon carbide. It was first identified in 1893 by the French chemist Henri Moissan in fragments from a meteorite crater. Natural moissanite is extremely rare, so the moissanite used in jewelry today is lab-created. It is its own gemstone, not a diamond and not a diamond imitation made of glass.
Moissanite vs. diamond at a glance
- Hardness: moissanite is about 9.25 on the Mohs scale, diamond is 10. Both are hard enough for everyday wear.
- Sparkle: moissanite has a higher refractive index and more than double the dispersion of diamond, so it throws more colorful "fire", especially in candlelight and under evening lights. Some people love that rainbow flash; others prefer the whiter sparkle of a diamond.
- Look: to most people across a room, a well-cut moissanite reads as a bright white stone. Up close, a trained eye can usually spot the extra color flashes.
- Price: moissanite costs a fraction of a diamond of the same size.
- Testing: moissanite conducts heat much like diamond, so some basic heat testers cannot tell them apart. A dedicated moissanite tester can.
Where moissanite falls short
- It is not a diamond, and it should never be sold or described as one.
- Resale value is low. Buy it because you love wearing it, not as an investment.
- If you prefer a cooler, whiter sparkle with less rainbow, diamond may suit you better.
When it makes sense
Moissanite is a great fit for evening jewelry: big, bright stones for a fraction of the price, so you can wear a 2 carat look to a wedding without worrying about the cost of losing an earring on the dance floor.
How we describe our Glowify pieces
Every Glowify piece is lab-created moissanite set in 925 sterling silver. Our pieces do not come with gemstone certificates, so we do not claim any. What you see on the product page is what you get: real photos from our supplier, free US shipping, and 30-day returns.
