What Makes a Moissanite So Popular?
A Moissanite stone is naturally occurring with many likenesses to a diamond, but also with unique differences. These stones are much cheaper, but this silicon carbide is much better than other gemstones. Moissanite stones are also better than diamonds, exceeding expectations. Once you see the stone as a separate entity and not a knock off of a diamond, you can then understand its value and appreciate it for what it is. This rare mineral is very resistant to heat, meaning a careless jeweler can’t damage your valuable and priceless stone.
What’s the Cost of Good Quality?
One thing that sets the Moissanite apart from a diamond is its high reflective index. It has an intense sparkling appearance, which is a double-refraction. This is 2.4 times more than a diamond, which only has a single-refraction optical property. The Moissanite stone creates some pretty intense fire. Clarity, cut, and color increases this.
Additionally, they are unbelievably affordable, which is why so many people want them. You can purchase a Moissanite diamond ring for just a small fraction of the cost of a diamond with the same carat weight and size. Top it off, the rarity of the Moissanite stone makes it increasingly valuable since it very rarely grows naturally. You will find that most Moissanite gemstones are lab-created.
There are many individuals who think that Moissanite stones are not as good as diamonds. Your spouse may be disappointed to find out their stone is not a diamond. Diamonds are traditional and some may not want to pick something other than that. However, diamonds are mined with unethical practices whereas Moissanites are lab-produced in an ethical manner.
What Sets It Apart?
Sure, the Moissanite may look just like a diamond, but there are differences between the two. The birthstone of April is a diamond, right? Not everybody can afford to buy a diamond birthstone piece of jewelry, which is why the Moissanite is a great alternative. Did you know that this mineral was discovered by a Nobel prize winner and French chemist named Dr. Henri Moissan? He found it in a meteor crater. This is where the idea that Moissanites are “gemstones born from the stars” and extraterrestrial.
These stones fall at a 9.5 on the Mohs hardness scale and a diamond is a 10. This is why they are such a great alternative. You can be rest assured knowing they will stand the test of time.
Ethical or Unethical Practices?
In several locations all over the world lie natural diamonds in kimberlite formations. These are found several miles in the earth, seabeds, or streambeds. Most of them are in Africa and those who have been hired to dig them up will exploit these countries by drilling miles into the crust of the earth. They also pay their workers minimally and treat them poorly. The other way to do this is by hand, which is called alluvial mining. There are many human rights activists and organizations that disapprove of the working conditions of those mining the diamonds.
Civil unrest in these countries is all thanks to blood diamonds. Additionally, the environment is damaged due to the heavy equipment used for mining and drilling. For these reasons, there aren’t many places that associate themselves with blood diamonds. If you want something more ethically produced, get a lab-grown Moissanite ring.
