What is Moissanite?
Moissanite, also known as silicon carbide, is a gemstone unlike any other. With more brilliance and fire than diamond, this stone has been a source of intense interest ever since its discovery more than a century ago. Moissanite dances with sparkles of light that draw the eye and delight the senses. Its unique internal beauty lends a captivating allure to jewelry, making a magnificent statement at a fraction of the cost of other gemstones. But only you know what you paid - envious passers-by see only a grand statement of opulence.
Where Does Moissanite Come From?
Today’s alluring Moissanite gemstones are the end result of a 110 year old geological discovery. Moissanite was first discovered in 1893 by the Nobel Prize-winning French chemist Dr. Henri Moissan at the site of a massive meteorite strike in Arizona. The tiny particles he unearthed were initially mistaken for diamond due to their hardness and brilliant reflectiveness, but after painstaking testing, were identified as naturally-occurring silicon carbide. This intriguing new stone was named Moissanite in his honor, and Moissan spent the rest of his life attempting to re-create this exceptional mineral, which is among the hardest materials on Earth.
Moissanite vs Diamond
Moissanite gemstones exhibit more brilliance than diamond, and are more durable than ruby, emerald, and sapphire. With a refractive index of 2.65-2.69, Moissanite is truly the World’s Most Brilliant Gem®. And thanks to a dispersion level that produces 2.4 times the fire of diamond, Moissanite bends light into mesmerizing rainbow flashes of fire. By day and by night, Moissanite’s conspicuous brilliance is spectacular.
The unrivaled fire and brilliance of Moissanite is guaranteed to last forever. The sparkle that makes this gemstone so beloved will never fade or dull. Pineforest Jewelry carries Moissanite protected by a limited lifetime warranty as offered by one of the top Moissanite creators, Charles & Colvard. Due to a hardness that is second only to that of diamond, Moissanite is highly unlikely to ever break, scratch or chip. And unlike mined diamonds, Moissanite stones are conflict-free and sustainable, grown as they are in a lab rather than mined from the earth.
Natural vs. Lab-Grown Moissanite
Natural Moissanite is incredibly rare on Earth; in fact, the largest natural Moissanite gems are too small to be set into jewelry. Nearly one hundred years after Dr. Moissan’s discovery, scientists at a research laboratory in central North Carolina perfected and patented the innovative process that creates silicon carbide crystals for Charles & Colvard®. Within a controlled environment that mimics the forces of nature, our researchers produce durable, super-hard crystals with a minimum of ecological impact, and absolutely no mining. Today, Charles & Colvard® remains committed to producing the highest quality Moissanite gemstones using innovative techniques and technologies.
Moissanite was introduced to the jewelry market in 1998. It is regarded as a diamond alternative, with some optical properties exceeding those of diamond. Its lower price and less exploitative mining practices necessary to obtain it make it a popular alternative to diamonds.