Moissanite – the new kid on the jewel block
Diamonds have, for many years, been right on the forefront of the jewel world for many decades. From coronations to engagements and overall fashion-world first place, the symbolism and tradition that is attached to diamonds have been with us for many years. However, in recent years, the appearance of moissanite on the jewellery scene has created major changes in this landscape. Here’s the real deal about this interesting stone that was, for the longest time, believed to have extra-terrestrial origins!
An interesting past
Despite its fairly recent appearance into the world of jewellery, Moissanite has been around for a much longer time. First discovered in the late 1800s, it takes its name from its discoverer, Henri Moissan, a French scientist. Although it is fairly rarely found in its natural form, the compound, silicon carbide, it is by no means an extraterrestrial compound – so where does the idea of it coming from outer space come from?
The explanation for this is quite simple – the initial discovery by Mr Moissan himself, was made near the impact site of a meteorite, setting off a long-lived belief that the compound caught a ride on the back of a meteorite, and made its way to earth in this way. Exciting as this might have been, it is unfortunately just not the case.
What is the difference between moissanite and diamonds?
Moissanite is not a diamond, but they are not fake diamonds either. So what are they? Moissanite is a double refractive gemstone, making it twice as sparkly as diamonds! They are only 0.5 points behind diamonds on the Mohs scale of hardness too, making them comparable to diamonds in terms of their appearance and performance.
If you are the kind of person who prefers having the numbers, the respective hardness scores are 9.5 for moissanite, and 10 for diamonds. Thermally and physically, moissanites are a strong contender for an ethical replacement for diamonds – with twice the sparkle, to boot!
How to make your moissanite pop
If making a statement with your jewellery is important to you, moissanite could be just what you’ve been looking for. An added benefit of moissanite is the fact that it comes at a far lower price point than diamonds. The consequence of this is that you can get a much larger stone than you would have if you’d spent the same amount of money on a diamond. If value for money (and retention of value) is a priority for you, go for moissanite!
Carat for carat, you can not only get a larger stone, but still have some money left over in the budget for a beautiful setting in a band of your choice. You will hardly believe how far the right band and setting can go in making your moissanite come to life.
Moissanite is the perfect partner for almost any metal, from rose gold to yellow gold, and even white gold. With the universally awesome moissanite, the sky is the limit!
