What is Moissanite?
Naturally occuring moissanite is silicon carbide first discovered by Henri Moissan in the late 19th century. It is an extremely rare mineral and only limited deposits have ever been found – mostly in association with meteors but also in kimberlite and as naturally ocurring inclusions in diamonds.
Due to its rarity natural moissanite, ie: mined from the earth, is not widely available. Instead it was synthesized in a labratory and is now commercially available from Charles and Colvard. It has a number of applications but the most important to us here is as a beautiful gemstone in jewellery.
Moissanite FAQ’s
Is it true that Moissanite has a yellow undertone?
Originally when it was first produced Moissanite did have a yellow-ish under-tone. They now call this kind of stone ‘Moissanite Classic’ and is roughly equivalent to the J/K colour grades of diamonds. Since that time the makers of Moissanite, Charles & Colvard, have come out with two lines of ‘whiter’ stones. The first is ‘Forever Brilliant’ and it is roughly equivalent in colour to the G/H/I grades of diamonds. The second and newest line is called ‘Forever One’ and is roughly equivalent in colour to a D/E/F grades of diamonds.
It is important to note that small Moissanite or stones smaller than 4mm are not made in the Forever Brilliant or Forever One lines. Small stones are only available in classic Moissanite.
What is the difference between diamond and Moissanite?
There are a number of differences but we will narrow it down to the main two. First, diamonds are harder than Moissanite measuring 10 on the Moh’s Scale of Hardness to the 9.25 of Moissanite. That being said, even though diamonds are harder, Moissanite is still a very durable stone that will stand up to everyday wear.
Second, Moissanite has a higher refractive index than diamond which means that it actually disperses more light and has more ‘fire’.
Carat Size vs Millimetre Size
We find that many people get confused with carat size and millimetre size. When considering Moissanite the most uncomplicated way to approach choosing your stone size is to use a milllimetre measurement. Carat is actually a weight measurement, not a dimensional measurement.
Moissanite weighs 10% less than a diamond so a one carat diamond would not be the same size as a one carat Moissanite. There are rough equivalents of course, for example a 6.5mm stone could be said to be approximately equivalent to the size of a one carat diamond, but it is not precise.
Is it possible to create a project using Moissanite if I’m not local to Toronto?
Absolutely, just get in touch and we will make it happen.
Some Examples of Custom Moissanite Rings We've Created
