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Moissanite Vs Diamond Guide

Moissanite Vs Diamonds

While diamonds are created from the compression of coal and minerals over many hundreds of years in the earth, moissanite actually comes from the stars. Originally, this rare gem was found in fragments of meteorite in pieces so small that cutting a gemstone from them was impossible. After many years of work, this rare, natural mineral was successfully grown in a lab. This process allows Charles & Colvard to create some of the most brilliant and beautiful colorless gems, rivaling the traditional beauty of diamonds in clarity and size – and outshining diamonds with their brilliance and fire.

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Brilliance Refractive Index (BRI) the measurement of a gemstones ability to slow down, bend and reflect light.
Fire Dispersion is when a light is split while passing through a gemstone, causing a rainbow-like effect.
Hardness MOHS Scale is a qualitative scale characterizing the scratch resistance of various gemstones and minerals.

 

As demonstrated in the chart above, moissanite has a greater refractive index and therefore contains more fire and brilliance – the internal play of light inside the gem – than diamonds. How is this achieved? We cut our moissanite in a unique way that emphasizes the natural beauty and sparkle of the gemstone. Our expert gemcutters examine each individual stone and determine the cut that would yield the most beautiful moissanite gemstone. From this, we use specialized cutting techniques specific to moissanite to enhance each stones fire and brilliance.

Brilliance:

Brilliance, which refers to a stone’s ability to reflect white light, is a good measure for how much a diamond will ‘sparkle’. Moissanite reflects light very well and is actually more brilliant than a diamond! In addition, moissanite has a higher dispersion than a diamond, too. So, in addition to your moissanite giving off more white sparkle, it will actually reflect more colored sparkle (“fire”),too. In fact, your moissanite will look like a firework next to a diamond.

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Colour:

Mined Diamonds come in a variety of colors ranging from icy-white clear to yellow or gray hues. Like snowflakes, no two mined Diamonds will be the same. A mined gemstone's range of color variation is due to environmental factors the gemstone was naturally growing in. The more clear or white a Diamond appears, the more valuable and desirable it is considered to consumers.

Moissanite on the other hand, originates from space meteorites and is not a gem you find naturally on Earth. Due to this fact, all Moissanite gems are lab created because sourcing its natural form is nearly impossible in nature. Since new Moissanites are grown in labs, the environment the gemstone grows in can be controlled and regulated for more the most consistent and best production results.

Moissanites available on the market today are colorless. Moissanites range from colors equivalent to D-I range, or the two highest tiers on the color scale. All Moissanites and Moissanite engagement rings found on our website are from Charles and Colvard's Forever One collection, which are the highest quality stones available on the market today. They are guaranteed to be DEF in color and VS2 clarity or better.

Moissanite is Second to Diamond in Terms of Hardness

Another benefit of moissanite is that it comes in second only to diamonds on the hardness scale – surpassing other gemstones including ruby, sapphire and emeralds. The harder a material, the more difficult it is to scratch or chip. While no gemstone is indestructible, some gemstones are slightly harder and more durable for daily wear. On the Mohs Scale of Hardness, Moissanite is rated as a 9.5 out of 10, which is higher than any gemstone used in jewelry besides Diamond itself. Diamonds are the hardest known mineral, scores a 10. which means it can withstand the demands of daily wear. 

Moissanite is Environmentally and Socially Responsible

Charles & Colvard introduced Forever One, the first colorless moissanite created gemstone, in September of 2015. Forever One is the epitome of created moissanite, and it’s helping change the way the industry thinks about environmental responsibility, and the way buyers think about fine jewelry. Forever One moissanite is lab-grown, so there is no mining involved in the creation process. It is not harmful to the earth, and it is not involved in any conflict trade. We are proud to say that our gems are ethically and responsibly sourced, and it is part of our corporate mission to continue to provide socially responsible choices in the jewelry industry at a revolutionary value.

Forever One is the culmination of two centuries of research and two decades of continuous innovation and is now available in two color grades: colorless (D-E-F) and near-colorless (G-H-I)*. The difference between the two is barely discernible with the naked eye, but we want to ensure excellence with every stone we grade. We pride ourselves on our stringent grading process. We have trained experts hand-grade each piece of Forever One moissanite, which ensures the quality of the products our customers receive. Our grading scale guarantees our colorless D-E-F gemstones are just that, colorless. Near-colorless G-H-I is made from the same materials, however, it has a slight icy blue hue when exposed to light at just the right angle.