The mysterious moissanite is called the “little brother” of the diamond. What is this stone, how to distinguish mouassanite from a diamond and which of the variants of inserts to prefer – we will deal with in our article.

Moissanite – what is it

Moissanite – silicon carbide (carborundum), which was discovered in 1893 by the Frenchman Henri Moissan and was named after the scientist. Natural moissanite is rare on Earth: it can be found in corundum deposits, kimberlite rock and some meteorites. The rarity of moissanite is due to the fact that its formation requires extremely high temperature and high pressure, which coincide these two factors in Earth conditions very rarely. Due to its rarity and small size, natural moissanite has no jewelry value. But seeing the potential in this stone scientists created an artificial one. Its production began in the late 80s of the XX century, and since the 90s artificial moissanite has been used in the jewelry industry. It is even called an analog of a diamond. But this is not quite true.

Artificially grown moissanite is a transparent stone with a bright glassy glow. Its refractive index is much higher than that of a diamond: 2.97 versus 2.42. The dispersion is also higher: 1.104 versus 0.044 for a natural diamond. Moissanite can be colorless or have a greenish, yellowish or even black color, which does not change depending on the light. The density of both stones differs slightly.

How to tell the difference between a moissanite and a diamond

Unfortunately for ordinary people, it is almost impossible to determine by yourself what kind of stone you are looking at.

Checking by heating does not work anymore

You can find information on the Internet that mouassanite changes color due to heating: from transparent it becomes greenish. Alas, only the first artificial moissanites behaved this way. Gradually, the technology of their production has been significantly improved, so at the moment heating will not lead to a visible reaction in the form of color change.

The Mohs hardness test is no longer valid

It is believed that if a stone is scratched with a diamond-tipped tool, it will leave a visible mark on the moissanite. This myth has been debunked: in 2016, a technology for coating moissanites with a super-thin diamond film (CVD technology) was introduced. Thanks to this technology, traces are not always left on the stone. Moreover, this same technology has “confused” even diamond testers (who determine the thermal conductivity of a stone): now they cannot distinguish a moissanite from a diamond.

Electrical conductivity test

Perhaps one of the most accurate methods is to test stones for electrical conductivity using a duotester. Moissanite conducts electricity, but diamond is a dielectric.

Optical test

The most accurate way to determine what kind of stone you have in front of you is to go to a gemologist who will conduct an optical test. With the help of special magnifying devices, you can notice that:

  • The facets of a moissanite have less adhesion: with the help of magnifying equipment, you can notice the facets double.
  • A moissanite has a brighter play of light than a diamond, so an expert can easily distinguish between the two.
  • A moissanite has growth tubes: small voids that occur during the growth of the crystal. They can be either inside the stone or like needles on the surface. Growth tubes can be detected at 10-90x magnification.

5 reasons to choose diamond over moissanite

Despite the fact that moissanites have taken their place in the jewelry market, most jewelry buyers still prefer diamonds. There are several reasons for this.

  • Tradition. Diamond is one of the most traditional stones in jewelry. It can be considered a centuries-old standard.
  • Naturalness of origin. No matter how good the analogs are, natural stones are habitually valued higher.
  • Status. Even if by appearance no one can guess a diamond in a setting or a moissanite, the owner of the jewelry will definitely be sure of the prestige and status of his product.
  • Value. Diamonds are more expensive and only grow in value over time, while moissanites become cheaper as technology advances.
  • Liquidity. Finally, diamonds are a good way to invest money. They can be easily sold if necessary.

In order not to make the wrong choice when buying a stone, we recommend buying diamonds only in trusted stores and be sure to ask for a certificate of conformity. It is important to know that diamonds are graded on a 4C scale, while moissanites are graded by color only.

All diamonds presented in our showroom are 100% natural and are certified by the independent gemological center of Moscow State University. The certificate must contain all the data on the 4C scale: shape of cut, carat weight, color group and clarity group. There is also a unique certificate number and a reference to the report of the testing laboratory, which will confirm the diamond’s conformity in case of doubts.

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