With the extremely high price tags associated with diamonds, many people have begun looking for alternatives by which they can express their love and commitment via fine jewellery. One such alternative that is gaining in popularity is moissanite. Moissanite rings share many of the same qualities as diamond rings: the stones are brilliant, clear, and absolutely stunning to look at. Nonetheless, there are many who disparage moissanite because it’s somewhat different from the traditional diamond they’ve come to love. In this article, we’ll introduce you to what you need to know to begin to understand the real differences between moissanite rings vs diamond rings.
What is Moissanite Anyway?
The first thing to understand is just what moissanite is. In the late 19th century, a French Chemist by the name of Henri Moissan discovered a mineral embedded in the material of a falling star. At first, he thought that he had discovered a huge deposit of diamonds because the stones had the same colour, clarity, and luster as the familiar gem. But upon closer observation and chemical analysis, it was determined that the stone he had discovered – which would eventually be named moissanite in his honour – contained silicon carbide. Moissan would eventually go on to win the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his discovery!
What Choice is Right for You?
Because moissanite shares so many of the qualities of a traditional diamond, the moissanite rings vs diamond rings debate is easy to understand. In terms of the major criteria that are used to judge diamonds and diamond jewellery, the four Cs of carat, cut, clarity, and colour, moissanite is virtually identical to diamond. The luster and clarity is very similar, which can often be told with a simple glance, and so the major differences come down to moissanite being significantly cheaper by the carat and having a slightly green or yellow coloured tint under bright lights. Besides the four Cs, moissanite is slightly less hard than diamonds on the Mohs scale, but the difference is minute: 10 for diamonds vs 9.25 for moissanite. This means that in the battle between moissanite rings vs diamond rings, a moissanite ring could only truly be damaged by another moissanite or by a diamond itself.
Lily Arkwright is a highly regarded jeweller with a great deal of experience in the moissanite rings vs diamond rings debate.
