Moissanite vs. Diamond
MOISSANITE VS. DIAMOND
Moissanite, the second favorite gem after diamond, possesses more brilliance, is durable almost as much as a diamond, and is always conflict-free. Ethical and consistent as a result of lab growing, these scintillating stones are affordable too. Moissanite can give you what diamonds give and offer even more. Eternate designs all of the engagement rings with moissanite though any other choice of your gemstone will be provided on demand. So let's take a closer look at moissanite and help you decide between diamonds and moissanite.
ORIGIN
Henri Moissan discovered this scarce, naturally occurring mineral in a crater formed by a meteorite in 1893. So officially, we can say that moissanite came from stars, though that's the same reason why this natural gem's only available versions are lab-created.
PRICING
Moissanites are especially preferred in engagement rings due to their advantageous pricing compared to diamonds, while preserving a comparable quality in several aspects. Natural diamond's price range is based on cut, clarity, color, and carat weight, whereas moissanite's price varies only based on color and size. Lowering the quality and carat of the natural diamond while choosing your engagement ring still costs you more than a bigger moissanite with better quality.
SIZE & SHAPE
So let's clarify 'size'; 6.5 mm diamond weighs 1.0 carat (0.2 grams) while 6.5 mm moissanite weighs 0.88 carats. Although moissanite is not measured in carats, we mention them with carats to state that the stone looks like a 1.0-carat diamond. We mean that your moissanite stone will be 6.5 mm as a diamond would when you purchased 1.0-carat moissanite.
Meanwhile, moissanite comes in all shapes a diamond does, and we refer to them with the same names.
COLOR & CLARITY
Due to its lab-created origin moissanite comes in two options; 'colorless' (D, E, F in diamonds) and 'near colorless' (G, H, I in diamonds). At Eternate, all moissanites are colorless. Likewise, these laboratory gems mostly come in the same desirable clarity, which is 'VSI (very slightly included)' according to the standard GIA diamond clarity scale. Eternate features these high-quality moissanites in its designs, presenting eyeful engagement rings.
HARDNESS & DURABILITY
There is a hardness scale called the 'Mohs Scale of Hardness' for identifying how hard a mineral can scratch the others. The hardest mineral naturally occurring on Earth is diamond, with a score of 10 on a 1 to 10 scale. Thus, diamonds are wonderfully durable, perfect for everyday wear. Nevertheless, moissanite doesn't fall much behind on the Mohs Scale of Hardness, scoring somewhere between 9.25-9.50. Still an excellent option that withstands daily wear, without abrasion.
Moissanite comes first among all the gemstones including diamond on brilliance and fire. As a fact, this gemstone is extremely refractive which means that it has the maximum white light emission making it sparkly as ever. Different from diamond, moissanites also have rainbow colored light, bigger the stone the more extensive the effects are. Overall, moissanites sit in its impressive first place by having more brilliance and fire than diamond.
ETHICAL SOURCING
One other pros of moissanite being created in labs is the fact that it is totally and absolutely ethical and sustainable. Moissanite doesn't get involved in any type of social or environmental conflict, presenting an option you can choose with clear conscience.