What is Moissanite - and Why Do We Love It?

We love all lab grown gems, and one of the most common we work with is moissanite. What is moissanite? Moissanite is a rare gemstone naturally found in meteorites, discovered by Nobel Prize-winning chemist Henri Moissan over 100 years ago. It looks similar to diamond, except with a more visible rainbow sparkle - which we adore. Plus, moissanite hardness is execeptional. It’s strong enough to last forever, second only to diamond on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. So it’s basically…a space diamond!

Where is Moissanite Found?

We mentioned meteorites earlier, but not all moissanite gemstones are found from falling space rocks. Commercial moissanite is grown in a lab. Often the rough crystal we use is a manufacturing byproduct which would otherwise be wasted - pretty cool!

Unlike mined diamonds, moissanite is widely available (none of those artificial shortages and cartel pricing that come with the mined diamond industry) which allows us to offer you luxurious choices - like rare antique cuts and generous stone sizes. 

Let’s compare diamonds and moissanite real quick:
Moissanite
Diamond
Origin
Grown sustainably in a lab
Can be mined or lab-grown
Composition
Silicon carbide
Carbon
Clarity
Eye clean (VS) to flawless
Ranges from severely included to flawless
Hardness ranking
Suitable for daily wear (9.25)
Suitable for daily wear (10)
Refractive index
2.65-2.69
2.41-2.42
Moissanite
Origin
Grown sustainably in a lab
Composition
Silicon carbide
Clarity
Eye clean (VS) to flawless
Hardness ranking
Suitable for daily wear (9.25)
Refractive index
2.65-2.69
Diamond
Origin
Can be mined or lab-grown
Composition
Carbon
Clarity
Ranges from severely included to flawless
Hardness ranking
Suitable for daily wear (10)
Refractive index
2.41-2.42
Is There Anything Else to Know About Moissanite?
Yes, there’s a ton actually! You’re in the right place to learn about moissanite’s hardness and durability, rainbow fire, color grading, and proportions. If you want to check out all the different colors moissanite is available in (it’s a lot of colors, and they’re all gorgeous), you can check out our Colored Gemstones reference page. 

Heirloom quality

Moissanite Durability 

Heirloom quality is important to us at Hera, and while diamonds are a common go-to, moissanite fits right in as the second hardest mineral on the planet. That’s why we love moissanite - it’ll last through lifetimes of daily wear. 

How Hard is Moissanite?
Durability is tested on the Mohs Scale of hardness, which ranks minerals by how hard they are. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the hardest, anything nine or above is strong enough to withstand daily wear on your hand. Moissanite is second only to diamond - it’s even harder than both ruby and sapphire, which artisans have used in engagement rings for hundreds of years. You can compare moissanite’s durability to other common gemstones at the link below:
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Moissanite vs. Common Diamond Substitutes
Common synthetic diamond substitutes - like cubic zirconia - are fragile. After just a few months of daily wear, you’ll begin to notice scratches and clouding on the surface of your stone. That’s why we don’t really recommend cubic zirconia (or any other diamond substitute) for daily wear. Moissanite, on the other hand, is not a diamond substitute. It is a unique gemstone with its own unique properties. And, because it’s significantly harder than any diamond substitute, it won’t scratch or cloud over time. We’re so confident that we offer a lifetime warranty on our moissanite, guaranteeing that the optical properties of your stone will never change.  
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Moissanite’s Famous Rainbow Fire

We’re not talking about literal fire here - although that would be pretty cool. When discussing a gemstone, the term “fire” is used to describe the way a stone sparkles. This comes from a gemological property known as dispersion. Dispersion happens when white light enters moissanite or diamond, splits into the rainbow of colors, and bounces back to reflect the light to the viewer - creating rainbow fire. We cut our moissanite to minimize rainbow fire, but it is still more present than in a diamond.

WHAT TOKNOWABOUT

DispersionandMoissanite

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See a ring that’s almost what you want but just needs a little refinement? The Custom route is the way to go! We can accommodate most custom requests (just ask!) but a few of the most common changes can be found below.



Do All Moissanite Gemstones Have Rainbow Fire?


While we absolutely adore moissanite’s rainbow flashes, we know that some people may be looking for a whiter sparkle. Our cuts are designed to minimize rainbow fire. Like all stones, moissanite sparkles differently depending on the light source.

Like diamond, gemologists grade moissanite by its color - where “color” refers to the natural body color of the stone, not the flashes or sparkles you see as the stone moves. Moissanite is typically available in two color grades: colorless (DEF) and near-colorless (GH). 

You’ll likely have a hard time comparing the two unless they’re held side-by-side, and some cuts look better in one grade than other - it doesn't line up perfectly with diamond color grading. We’re perfectionists and we want your engagement ring to be flawless - so our experts pre-select the best moissanite color grade for each cut and take out the guesswork on your end. 

MOISSANITE COLOR GRADING

The Basics of Our Colorless Moissanite

Our modern cut moissanite is all colorless, meaning it will be bright white.

There are no certifying bodies that grade moissanite color, unlike lab grown diamond, so we don't assign a color grade to our moissanite - we just make sure it's bright white and beautiful.

What About Our Colored Moissanite?

We only sell gemstones with natural body color. This means that there are no coatings or other temporary treatments applied. Instead, our moissanite colors are guaranteed to last forever without any fading. 

We offer a wide variety of moissanite colors. And, yes, if you Google colored moissanite you’ll see pink and purple too, but unfortunately, all pink and purple moissanite is color-coated so we don’t sell it.

THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  

THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  

THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  

THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  

THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  

THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  

THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  

THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  THE MOISSANITE GEMSTONE YOU WANT - NO COMPROMISES  |  

The Moissanite Gemstone You Want - No Compromises.

One of the great things about moissanite is that you can get exactly what you want - no compromises. And yes, this includes selecting the exact dimensions and proportion of your stone.

With elongated cuts, like emerald and oval, you can choose either a slimmer of fuller proportion for your stone. You can see the difference in proportions between the two options in the diagram below:
9x6 MM
9x7 MM
10x7 MM
10x8 MM
9x6 MM
9x7 MM
10x7 MM
10x8 MM

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

Also - you’re not alone. If you’re not sure what gemstone you want, Hera is here to help. We’ll set up a consultation and put together your best options for the look you want, your budget, the gemstones you like, and more. We can compare sapphire and moissanite colors, lab grown diamond and moissanite hardness and light performance, and answer any other questions you have.
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