The moissanite wedding rings vs. diamond debate is interesting when comparing the cost and value of moissanite versus diamond, as both are beautiful jewels in their own right.
Marilyn Monroe once famously said, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend." Millions still agree with her. Although nothing shines as brightly as a diamond, Marilyn died before the lab-produced Moissanite (named after Nobel Prize-winning scientist Henri Moissanite) came along.
What are moissanite stones and how do they compare to diamonds in terms of appearance, value, and durability? To compare these two hard rocks, we have to look at the differences between moissanite and diamond and find out what makes them similar or different from each other.
What are Moissanite wedding rings?
Moissanite belongs to the silicon carbide group of minerals. Moissanite looks similar to a diamond at first glance but can be distinguished from a diamond with a ten-fold magnifying glass. If you look at this stone under a microscope, you will notice that Moissanite has many internal features that make it unique and easily distinguishable from diamonds.
What is a diamond?
A diamond can be defined as a pure crystalline carbon with a regular octahedral geometry. Although diamonds do occur naturally, nowadays, people are often skeptical of buying them due to the high content of lab-made diamonds, and this is the case with moissanite.
Diamonds will always be one of the most popular gemstones in history, although their popularity has declined as consumer awareness of moissanite and diamonds has increased.
Where do natural moissanite wedding rings come from?
In 1893, Nobel Prize-winning scientist Henry Mossan discovered these beautiful gems in an ancient meteor crater in Arizona. Due to their appearance and hardness, Mosan mistakenly believed that natural Moissanite was a diamond created by the heat and impact of meteors! How romantic is this? A gem created from heaven!
However, in 1904, Mossan discovered that these beautiful gems contain approximately 70% silicon and 30% carbon, while diamonds are almost entirely composed of carbon. In the late 1990s, moissanite began to be produced in laboratories. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that moissanite performs well compared to diamonds in terms of appearance, value, and durability.
How is moissanite prepared in the laboratory?
The man-made industrial process allows the production of large quantities of industrial moissanite by high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) processing.
Scientists create moissanite in a laboratory setting by placing small silicon carbide crystals into chambers containing a carbon-oxygen torch. This torch burns at 4500 degrees Celsius, releasing carbon dioxide and methanol gas to form gemstones. It takes about two to three months to produce a stone.
Can moissanite be considered a diamond?
In some cases, moissanite wedding rings are considered different from diamonds. The two gemstones have very different properties from substance to brightness and color. Diamonds are found naturally and are made of the hardest materials. This diamond is of incredible beauty and value. Moissanite is usually made in the laboratory using silicon carbide.
Compared to diamonds, they have many visual differences in color, light properties, and sensitivity to light. While diamonds and moissanite may look very similar from a distance, their characteristics are markedly different.
Diamonds and moissanite wedding rings: Color
Moissanite is usually colorless but sometimes appears yellow or gray at different temperatures. Chromium impurities in moissanite are also present in natural diamonds, causing their green color. The properties of moissanite enable it to undergo heat treatment and color enhancement to bring out its best characteristics.
Diamonds, on the other hand, can come in a variety of colors. This is due to the presence of chemical impurities such as nitrogen and boron. Diamonds are either completely colorless or have very faint traces of yellow, brown, blue, green, pink, or purple. Because diamonds are naturally colorless, they display a very light color that is invisible to the naked eye.
Diamonds and moissanite: Bright and shining
Diamonds are scored by professionals on the four C's - cut, clarity, color, and carat. Read more about the 4Cs in this article. Moissanite wedding rings are graded according to color and clarity, and Charles and Colvard as well as generic brands come in a variety of colors and purities, just like diamonds. Moissanite and diamond have different brilliance. Diamonds reflect light in three different ways, making them the king of sparkle.