What Is Moissanite & How Does It Compare to Diamond?

Put a moissanite next to a diamond, and most people can't tell which is which at a glance. Both are clear, hold up to everyday wear, and throw off a lot of light. Underneath, they're two different gemstones made of different materials, and each one sparkles in its own way.

More couples are asking us about moissanite for engagement rings, and it comes up for anniversary bands and earrings, too. The appeal is easy to see. You get a lot of size and sparkle for the price, which leaves room in the budget for the setting or the wedding itself.

So what is moissanite? We’ll explain everything you need to know, including how it looks and wears, and how it compares to natural and lab-grown diamonds in terms of price, so you can choose with the whole picture in front of you.

Quick Answers About Moissanite

• Is moissanite real? Yes. It's a real gemstone made of silicon carbide. Almost all moissanite is lab-created, meaning it was grown rather than mined, and it has its own chemical makeup and properties.
  
• Is moissanite a diamond? No. Diamond is pure carbon and moissanite is silicon carbide, so they're two different gemstones that happen to look alike.
  
• Does it look like a diamond? Most people think it does, especially in smaller sizes. A jeweler can tell them apart with magnification and the right tester.
  
• Is it sparkly? Very. Moissanite bends light more strongly than diamond and throws about 2.4 times as much fire, so you'll see more rainbow flashes.
  
• Is it durable? Yes. At about 9.25 on the Mohs scale, it resists scratches well, though like any gemstone, it can chip from a hard knock.
  
• How long does it last? A lifetime, with normal care. The setting is what needs regular checkups.
  
• Is it cheaper than diamond? Generally, yes. Moissanite usually costs less than both natural and lab-grown diamonds of a similar visual size.

What Is Moissanite?

Moissanite is a gemstone made of silicon carbide. It was first discovered in a meteorite crater in 1893. French chemist Henri Moissan studied rock samples from Canyon Diablo, the Arizona crater left by a meteorite strike about 50,000 years ago, when he spotted tiny, sparkling crystals. 

He first assumed they were diamonds. Further testing showed they were silicon carbide, a compound that had been made in a lab for the first time only two years earlier, and the mineral was later named moissanite in his honor.

Natural moissanite turned out to be extremely rare on Earth. It appears in minute amounts in certain meteorites and a handful of rock deposits, nowhere near enough to cut into jewelry, so every moissanite you'll find in an engagement ring started in a lab.

What Is Moissanite Made Of?

Moissanite is silicon carbide (SiC), a crystal built from silicon and carbon. Diamond is made entirely of carbon. That chemical difference shapes everything else about the two stones. 

They can look alike once they're set in a ring, but a trained eye can still tell them apart.

How Is Moissanite Made?

Gem-quality moissanite is grown in a lab by heating silicon carbide to more than 2,000 degrees Celsius in a specialized furnace, where it slowly re-forms as a single crystal. That crystal is then cut and polished into gems, much like a sapphire or diamond would be.

Lab-created doesn't mean fake. Moissanite is a gemstone in its own right, with its own chemical makeup, hardness, and optical properties, and it has been made for fine jewelry since the late 1990s.

The word that trips people up is "imitation." A lab-created gemstone has the same chemistry as its natural counterpart. A lab-created sapphire is still sapphire, and lab-created moissanite is still moissanite. 

An imitation, often called a simulant, is a material used to mimic the look of a different gem. Because moissanite is so often chosen for its diamond-like look, you'll sometimes see it described as a diamond simulant. 

How Long Does Moissanite Last?

With normal care, a moissanite will last a lifetime. Its brilliance comes from the crystal itself, so the sparkle won't wear off or fade with age.

The part of the ring that does wear is the setting. Years of daily wear thin and loosen prongs on any ring, whatever the stone, which is why we recommend having a jeweler check them regularly. 

Moissanite vs. Diamond: What's the Difference?

How Does Moissanite Look Compared to Diamond?

Both stones are brilliant, and they sparkle differently. Moissanite has a higher refractive index than diamond, roughly 2.65 to 2.69 compared with diamond's 2.42. That number measures how sharply a stone bends light as it enters. The sharper it bends, the more light a well-cut stone bounces back toward your eye, so moissanite looks very bright, with plenty of sparkle and no haze. 

The bigger difference you'll notice is fire, the flashes of rainbow color a stone throws when it moves. Moissanite's dispersion is about 2.4 times diamond's, which means it splits light into more color. Tilt a moissanite ring in the sun, and you'll see little rainbows bouncing off it, red and blue and violet, with almost every turn of your hand. Tilt a diamond the same way, and you'll still catch some color, but most of what flashes back is bright white light. 

In a small stone, the difference is subtle. In larger stones, it's much easier to see, and for many people who choose moissanite over diamond, that extra flash of color is a big part of the appeal. 

Does Moissanite Look Like a Diamond?

To most people, yes, especially at a glance and in smaller sizes, although an experienced jeweler can usually tell the difference. Under magnification, the edges of moissanite's facets can look doubled from some angles, a quirk of how the stone splits light. A diamond's edges stay single and sharp. 

Does Moissanite Get Cloudy?

Quality moissanite doesn't turn cloudy as it ages. The crystal is stable, and its clarity and color stay the same over time.

What does happen to every ring is buildup. Lotion, hand soap, and skin oils collect on the underside of the stone and around the setting, blocking light from getting in and making a ring that sparkled at the proposal look dull a few months later. A proper cleaning brings it right back.

Is Moissanite as Durable as Diamond?

The Mohs scale ranks minerals by scratch resistance, from talc at 1 to diamond at 10. Moissanite sits at about 9.25, just below diamond and above sapphire and ruby, which are both 9.

In everyday terms, moissanite is hard enough to handle daily life without picking up scratches. Most of the scratches on jewelry come from tiny bits of grit in ordinary dust, and moissanite is harder than that grit, so normal wear won't dull it. That makes it a solid choice for a ring you plan to wear every day. 

Can Moissanite Chip or Break?

It can. Any gemstone can, diamond included. Hardness measures how well a stone resists scratches, while toughness describes how it handles a hard knock without chipping or cracking. Moissanite is tough for a gemstone, and a solid hit against a car door or a granite counter can still chip it.

Cut and setting make a big difference here. Thin edges and sharp points, like the tips of a pear or marquise or the corners of a princess cut, take the brunt of a hit, and a bezel setting or V-shaped prongs over those points help protect them. 

If you work with your hands or you're hard on your jewelry, that's worth talking through when you design your ring with us.

Moissanite Costs Compared to Natural and Lab-Grown Diamonds

The gap is biggest with natural diamonds, because a big part of what you're paying for is rarity. Lab-grown diamonds cost less than natural ones, and moissanite usually costs less still.

If size and sparkle matter more to you than having a diamond, moissanite lets you go bigger on the same budget or get the same look for less. The final price depends on the stone's size and quality and on the setting you choose.

Deciding Between Moissanite and Diamonds

The choice comes down to your priorities. Some couples want the most sparkle their budget can buy. Others care most that the stone is a diamond, and some love the idea of one that formed in the earth long before any of us were around. When we help couples decide at the counter, we start with what matters most and work from there. 

Who Should Choose Moissanite?

Moissanite may make sense for you if you:

• Want a large stone with plenty of sparkle and would rather put the savings toward the setting, the wedding, or a honeymoon.
  
• Love colorful flashes of light and don't need your stone to be a diamond.
  
• Want a gemstone that holds up to everyday wear, and you're comfortable with one made in a lab.

Who Should Choose a Lab-Grown Diamond?

A lab-grown diamond may appeal to you if:

• You want a diamond with a diamond's chemistry and classic look, without buying a mined stone.
  
• Diamond grading and the 4Cs matter to you.
  
• You'd like a larger or higher-grade diamond than a natural-diamond budget would allow.

Who Should Choose a Natural Diamond?

A natural diamond may be the right fit if:

• You love the idea of a stone that formed deep in the earth over one to three billion years.
  
• Natural rarity and geological origin matter to you, especially for a piece you plan to pass down.
  
• You want a traditional diamond, and you're comfortable with the higher price that comes with it.

You can see what a diamond looks like in our engagement rings. 

And if none of the three feels quite like you, color might. Sapphires, tourmalines, and emeralds make beautiful center stones, and our gemstone engagement rings are a good place to start.

Is Moissanite Right for You?

Moissanite brings more fire than diamond, enough hardness for everyday wear, and plenty of size for the price. Whether that's the right trade depends on how much it matters to you that the stone in your ring is a diamond, and that's a personal call.

If you'd like a second opinion, come see us at our Bellingham store. We'll talk through your priorities and budget, and if a sapphire catches your eye on the way in, we won't be surprised.