Moissanites: the diamond alternative
Do you love diamond jewelry — either for yourself or as a gift — but struggle to rationalize the expense? Moissanites offer an excellent diamond alternative.
What are moissanites?
They are laboratory-grown minerals used to simulate diamonds in fine jewelry and are:
Almost impossible to distinguish from a genuine diamond, especially for non-jewellers
Very affordable – 8 to 10 times less expensive than diamonds
Highest quality: the 2nd hardest stone next to a diamond. Lifetime warranty to maintain its fire & brilliance
An eco-friendly option for those opposed to mining or diamond marketing
Can moissanites really replicate diamonds?
ABC network’s news magazine show 20/20 did an interesting test in February 2014, bringing moissanite rings to 10 jewellers in Washington DC. A full 50% of them mistook the moissanites for diamonds. And even the electronic diamond tester got it wrong! Read more about how 20/20 fooled the experts with moissanites.
And here’s how consumers reacted to a test that the Today Show set up on Valentine’s Day 2017!
Moissanites: suitable for fine jewellery
Retail jewellers may try to persuade you that these stones aren’t appropriate for engagement rings; that only a diamond can represent everlasting love. That’s the power of marketing.
I have many customers who prefer these lab-grown stones for their wedding sets…and not just because of the price. They are beautiful gems that truly replicate almost-flawless diamonds. I’ve made many pieces of fine jewelry with genuine Charles and Colvard moissanites – using both gold and platinum settings.
I always recommend that my clients upgrade to enhanced stones as the color is far superior to standard moissanites. These are branded Forever Brilliant and Forever One. They include a certificate of authenticity; and if larger than 5 mm, are also laser-engraved.
More info
Durability
The hardness of a gemstone is measured on the Mohs scale. Diamonds are the world’s hardest mineral and score a 10. Moissanites are the second most durable stone with a Mohs rating of 9.25. Rubies and sapphires are next at 9.00.
Brilliance
Lab-grown diamonds can actually be as much as 10% more brilliant than a diamond. People love the extra sparkle!
Color
Unlike diamonds, moissanites aren’t graded by color. The newest enhanced stones – the Forever One – are almost colorless, similar to an E or F color diamond. Forever Brilliant are considered a G or H color. And the standard moissanites are comparable to K-color diamonds.
Price
Overall these lab-grown diamonds are a fraction of the price of a diamond – 8 to 10 times less expensive. While a diamond’s price varies based on cut, clarity and more, moissanite stones vary only by size (measured in mm’s) and type (enhanced or not).
Next steps
Do your research. There are plenty of articles – pro and con – to read. Learn more from the manufacturer here.
Talk to me; I’m happy to give you more information.
Take a look at them! I have both Forever One and Forever Brilliant stones on hand.
Spend the extra money and purchase enhanced moissanites. The color improvement is well worth the minor increase in price.
Hi there,
If you were to suggest a shape for maximum brilliance in the moissanite, I’m torn between the 8mm Forever One Round shape vs the cushion cut.
In you experience which moissanite shape of the 2 has the most life?
Hi Becky, overall moissanites have a lot of ‘fire’…even more than a diamond….because of the way they’re cut (double refraction).
Color can be better on a round moissanite vs a cushion cut. A Forever One is in the E-F range: round would be closer to E, cushion might be closer to F.
Honestly, you should get the shape that appeals to you the most: both will be very fiery and both will have great color. You just can’t go wrong! Thanks, Ruth
Hello Denis. I’m very interested in Moissanite as the option for my engagement ring. I am having trouble finding a place that deals with enough Moissanite for me to have the variety necessary to find a ring I like. I have found one I love in an online store but the sizes are not large enough and I’m not having any luck getting a response from them (guess they don’t want or need the business). Also, if I can’t get a response now, I can’t imagine trying to contact them if anything went wrong etc… so I’m branching out. I’m finding that many C&C dealers mainly deal in and push their diamonds though and the rings they can offer otherwise are pre-made and not for me.
How does your Moissanite work? Do you offer it in various styles and use the Moissanite in place of a diamond? I very much like the 3 stone rings… I have pictures that I can share if this helps.
Unfortunately I’m about 5 hours away from you so the more we can do on line, the happier I will be.
thank you in advance for any information you can provide, Amy
Hi Amy, thanks for getting in touch. I’m Denis’ wife Ruth and can definitely help you out. I’ll message you privately with full details of how to work with us. Bottom line: we do custom work so anything you see that you like with a diamond in it, we can make for you with a moissanite. Many jewellers don’t like dealing with moissanites because they are so inexpensive so it’s hard for them to cover all their expenses. We work out of our home, with very low overhead, so don’t have those same concerns! Stay tuned for an email from me. Thanks again! Ruth. P.S. we can easily work with customers outside of Ottawa. Technology makes it super easy to share ideas back and forth, show you designs and even accept payment :-).
Hello,
I was wondering if I had a loose moissanite if you would be willing to set it? Also I was wondering if there is a way to test it for authenticity? Thanks!
Hi Rebeckah, we can definitely set a loose moissanite for you. And we can test for authenticity by using an electronic moissanite tester. Also, if it’s a Charles & Colvard moissanite it will have their name – and the type of moissanite – engraved on side of the stone. If you have really good eyesight, you may be able to see it but it’s more likely that you’ll need magnification. Denis can check for that (and show it to you) with his jeweller’s loop.
I’ll send you an email to get a conversation going about the style of ring you’re looking for. I’m happy to put a quote together! Thanks for reaching out. Cheers, Ruth.