Although it has a similar appearance to diamonds, there is no such thing as a Moissanite diamond. Moissanite is a genuine gemstone with its own distinct beauty and chemical properties, similar to how an emerald or sapphire differs from a diamond. Moissanite, as a lab-grown stone, is guaranteed to last as long as a diamond but can be purchased for a fraction of the price. Moissanite is quickly becoming a leading diamond alternative in the jewellery industry as a more sparkly, affordable, and ethical choice of stone.
Moissanite is a one-of-a-kind gemstone.
Moissanite has a one-of-a-kind discovery story, with origins that are literally out of this world. When Dr Henry Moissan discovered diamonds in an Arizona meteor crater in 1893, he thought he'd discovered diamonds. He soon realised, however, that the microscopic particles were made of silicon carbide and were an entirely new discovery - a gemstone bearing his name: Moissanite!
Organic Moissanite particles are exceptionally rare, but modern science has enabled us to beautifully replicate them in controlled lab environments. As a research facility stone, Moissanite is both ethical and environmentally friendly. Because Moissanite does not require mining, you can be confident that the stone's origins are easily traceable and that it was created without the use of ethically questionable labour practises.
Moissanite has distinctive physical properties.
Despite its resemblance to the appearance of a diamond, Moissanite has subtle structural differences that distinguish it from diamonds and make it its own distinct gemstone. This includes variations in chemical composition, hardness, clarification, colour, and brilliance.
Chemical Makeup
Moissanite, with exception of diamonds, is made of silicon carbide rather than carbon. Because moissanite is an extremely rare, naturally occurring mineral, it is inconceivable to use organic moissanite in jewellery, so moissanite is now grown synthetically in controlled lab environments.
Hardness
The Mohs scale is used to determine the hardness of a gemstone, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the hardest. On this scale, moissanite ranks second only to diamond, which ranks first with a score of 10. Moissanite, as one of the hardest minerals on the planet, is strong and durable and will last a lifetime of daily wear.
Clarity
Diamonds are graded according to the four C's: cut, clarity, colour, and carat. Moissanite's cut and clarity are rarely variable because it is a lab-created stone. This appears to mean that moissanite stones are almost always near-flawless in clarity, with only minor imperfections or blemishes visible under magnification.
Our stones have a nearly perfect clarity grading of VVSI-2 (very very slightly included) at Cullen Moissanite, ensuring a clear, bright sparkle.
Colour
Moissanite is graded solely on colour due to the uniformity of the cut and clarity of moissanite stones. Moissanite, like diamonds, is classified as a colourless gemstone, but it can exhibit a yellow or grey hue in certain lighting conditions. This difference, however, is extremely subtle and will only be visible to a trained eye when both stones are placed side by side.
Brilliance and Fire
Moissanite has a greater refractive index than diamond, which means that light entering a moissanite stone bends more than light entering a diamond. This means there will be more small flashes of white light (brilliance) and more dazzling colour (fire). A moissanite stone will sparkle brightly and may exhibit a rainbow, almost "disco-ball" effect when exposed to sunlight. Moissanite's twinkle is brighter and more dazzling when compared to a diamond's subtle blue-grey kaleidoscope sequence - often the very characteristic that our clients fall in love with!
Moissanite is less expensive than diamonds.
Moissanite, as a man-made stone, can be customised to any shape or size and costs a fraction of the cost of a diamond with the same size and quality. Diamonds are natural gemstones, so their quality varies greatly, and they are priced as according their cut, clarity, colour, and carat. Moissanite, on the other hand, is priced according to size and exhibits very little variation in cut, clarity, or colour.
Moissanite stones are extremely affordable because they are lab-grown. Unlike diamonds, where prices skyrocket once you start looking at large stones, larger moissanite stones rise in reasonable increments. To put it in perspective, a VVSI-2 7.5mm (1.5ct) Round Cut Moissanite costs $200, whereas a diamond of the same size, clarity, and colour costs over $10,000!
This means that you can have the size and style you've always wanted with Moissanite without spending a fortune.
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