We Hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather which is finally here. Let's take a look another new diamond substitute: Moissanite.. Moissanite in its natural form comes from space, created by a meteorite that fell to earth. These crystals are composed of silicon carbide. Natural Moissanite is incredibly rare, so Moissanite available today is lab-created. This lab-created stone is engineered to look similar to diamonds, but is physically quite different from a true diamond.
Diamonds are naturally occurring. Moissanite is mostly produced in labs
Diamonds are extremely rear and take years to develop and therefore, are much more expensive than any other stone. Moissanite is developed easily and can be obtained at a much lower price.
Moissanite shows doubling signs when viewed through a Jewelers loupe. Diamond do not show such signs.
Moissanite produces a rainbow effect when light passes through. Because of these fiery rainbow flashes some love the effect, while others complain it has a "disco ball" effect. Diamonds are singly refractive.
Moissanite shows pipelike inclusions through magnification. This cannot be seen in a diamond.
Diamond has a hardness of between 9.5 and 10 on the Mohs scale, depending on purity. Moissanite has a hardness of between 9.25 to 9.5. It is the second hardest stone in nature.
Diamonds are graded according to the 4 C's scale (cut, clarity, color, carat weight) Moissanite is graded solely on color. Premium Moissanites are nearly colorless and can be compared to a G or H color on the 4 C's scale.
Moissanite is not as well polished as a typical diamond. When examined under a microscope, many had rounded facet junctions in contrast to the sharp junctions seen on a diamond.
MOISSANITE VS CUBIC ZIRCONIA
Moissanite is harder than Cubic Zirconia. Comparing the hardness of the two, CZ has less than one half (45%) the hardness of Moissanite as measured using the Knoop indention test. The test indicates: CZ 1370 vs Moissanite 3000. Indicating that Moissanite is 219% harder
When comparing toughness, which is the resistance to chipping and breaking, Moissanite comes out on top being over 300% more resistant to chipping. PSI testing a CZ is 2.4 compared to Moissanite 7.6 . Given Moissanites very high hardness and toughness it will not scratch,chip or wear like a CZ
Moissanite is known for its high retractive index of 2.69, which is 25% greater than the refractive index of a CZ. The higher the refractive index, the more brilliance the jewel emits. Moissanite's dispersion of light is 58% greater than a CZ. Therefore, Moissanite emits more fire, or flashes of rainbow light, than CZ. The luster of Moissanite is 50% higher than that of CZ. The higher the luster, the greater the amount of light reflected from the suface of the gemstone.
Moissanite has a heat resistance that is greater than CZ, which is very sensitive to heat. When deciding to purchase a CZ, keep in mind that modifications to your CZ jewelry, such as sizing, repairs, might be refused by some jewelers.
In conclusion, we have looked at Diamonds, CZ's and Moissanite this month. At Swede's Jewelers, we want our customers to be educated and informed. Please come in to our store and see for yourself what suits your style and desires. We are always there to be of service.