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WHAT IS MOISSANITE?

So what exactly is moissanite? In a word…brilliant. From how it was first discovered, to its introduction into the jewelry market, moissanite is considered a gift from the stars.

In fact, moissanite was first discovered in a meteor crater in 1893, which makes it a gift from the heavens as well.

Originally the crystals found within this crater were identified as diamond particles. In 1904 however, an American geologist named Henri Moissan re-identified the crystal as silicon carbide. In its natural form this crystal is extremely rare. Created from synthetic material however, moissanite shines brighter than a diamond or any other gemstone. In fact moissanite’s gemological characteristics are in most cases far superior to naturally occurring gemstones, as this chart reveals.

Name

BEAUTY

DURABILITY

 

Brilliance Refractive
Index (RI)

Fire
Dispersion

Luster

Hardness
Mohs Scale

Toughness

Moissanite 2.65-2.69 0.104 20.4 9 ¼ Excellent
Diamond 2.42 0.044 17.2 10 Excellent*
Ruby 1.77 0.018 7.4 9 Excellent**
Sapphire 1.77 0.018 7.4 9 Excellent**
Emerald 1.58 0.014 5.1 7 ½ Good to Poor