What Is Moissanite? Moissanite vs Lab Grown Diamonds
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Gemstone Education · SVS Fine Jewelry
Moissanite is a lab-created gemstone made of silicon carbide. It is not a diamond, which is pure carbon, but it is exceptionally brilliant and hard enough for daily wear: 9.25 on the Mohs scale against diamond's 10, with a higher refractive index that produces more rainbow fire. It was discovered in 1893 by French scientist Henri Moissan in an Arizona meteor crater. Natural moissanite is vanishingly rare, so virtually all moissanite sold for jewelry today is grown in a laboratory. It is pronounced MOY-suh-nite. |
Written by Sami V. Saatchi, GIA Graduate Gemologist and President of SVS Fine Jewelry, Oceanside NY.
Moissanite vs Lab Grown Diamond vs Natural Diamond
Most people researching moissanite are really asking a bigger question: which stone belongs in the ring. Here is how the three compare on the measures that matter.
| Moissanite | Lab Grown Diamond | Natural Diamond | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Silicon carbide | Carbon | Carbon |
| Is it a diamond? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Hardness (Mohs) | 9.25 | 10 | 10 |
| Refractive index | 2.65 | 2.42 | 2.42 |
| Sparkle | Strong rainbow fire | Crisp white sparkle | Crisp white sparkle |
| Grading report | Not graded by GIA | 4Cs by GIA or IGI | 4Cs by GIA |
| Price | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
| At SVS | Final selection only | Shop rings | Shop rings |
| Shop Lab Grown Rings | Lab Grown Guide |
Moissanite or Lab Grown Diamond: Which Should You Choose?
For years moissanite was the only way to get size, a lab origin and a gentle price in one stone. That changed when lab grown diamonds became affordable. A lab grown diamond is carbon, with the same chemical, physical and optical properties as a mined diamond, the same Mohs 10 hardness and the same classic white sparkle, and it comes with a full 4C grading report from GIA or IGI that discloses its lab origin.
Moissanite still costs less, and some people love its rainbow fire. If that is the look you want, it is a beautiful, durable stone. But if you started your search wanting a lab-created stone because you want a diamond for less, a lab grown diamond engagement ring is the closer match, and that is why most of our couples now choose one.
That is also why SVS stopped ordering moissanite. Our final selection of moissanite engagement rings and loose stones is still available until it sells through. After that, our showroom carries natural and lab grown diamonds only.
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Not Sure What You Have
We Can Identify Your Stone While You Wait
If you own a ring and are not certain whether the center stone is moissanite, a diamond or something else, bring it in. SVS is an American Gem Society Accredited Gem Lab, which means AGS has verified we maintain a gem laboratory on the premises with a credentialed gemologist and the equipment to use it. Screening takes minutes and there is no obligation to buy anything.
Visit our Oceanside showroom
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SVS Fine Jewelry serves couples across Long Island: Oceanside, Long Beach, Rockville Centre, Lynbrook, Garden City, Merrick, Island Park and all of Nassau County. Locally owned since 2003, our 4,000+ square foot Oceanside showroom offers guidance from GIA Graduate Gemologists on every stone option, with more than 2,500 Google reviews from the couples we have served.
If you cannot get to Oceanside, we will still help. Send us the specs of a stone you are considering and one of our GIA Graduate Gemologists will tell you plainly what you are looking at, whether or not you buy from us. Call (516) 766-2614 or send us a message.
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