This stunning piece of jewelry features beautiful and brilliant moissanite gemstones, renowned for their impressive fire and luster. With a near-diamond brilliance and resistance to scratches and chips, moissanite is the perfect choice for those seeking a timeless and sturdy look.
What is "Moissanite" and It's History?
Nobel Prize-winning French chemist, Dr. Henri Moissan discovered it over 120 years ago. Initially, he was looking for crystalline chemical compositions ideal for efficient electrical conductivity. Luckily, during his search, he discovered "silicon carbide" (a remarkable and extremely rare mineral from a meteorite crater in Arizona). It was then named "moissanite" in his honor.
Dr. Moissan spent the remainder of his life trying to recreate his extraordinary finding but, unfortunately, never succeeded. In the late 1990's, researchers from the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina developed and patented a process for creating pure silicon carbide (SIC). The process of producing moissanite is lengthy. It takes two to three months to create a single gem. Moissanite has a different chemical makeup from natural diamonds. Natural diamonds are pure carbon, whereas, moissanite is both silica and carbon. Ironically, moissanite sparkles brighter but isn't as hard although it is only .5 point hardness away on the Mohr's scale than a natural diamond!
What Is the Difference Between Moissanite and Natural Diamonds?
- Price: Moissanite is considerably cheaper than a diamond. The CEO and President of Charles & Colvard (the original creator of moissanite), states "A moissanite gem is approximately one-tenth the cost of a mined diamond of equal size and quality. The value of moissanite is greater with larger carat weights". One would opt for moissanite over diamond in the instance of desiring a large carat, white gemstone, but do not possess the money to obtain it. For the most part, a colorless diamond with the highest clarity grade is impossible. The truth is that a lower quality, smaller diamond tends to cost more than a higher quality, larger moissanite stone.
- Durability: Natural diamonds are known for their durability. They are the hardest naturally occurring mineral and can withstand nearly any kind of wear and tear. Natural diamonds are very resistant to abrasions. Moissanite does not fall very far behind. Moissanite is the second hardest to natural diamonds. Based on hardness rankings from 1-10, diamonds are a 10 and moissanite is a 9.25-9.50.
- Brilliance: The most obvious difference between moissanite and natural diamonds is the brilliance of the moissanite. Generally, moissanite has more brilliance than natural diamonds. O'Connell reveals that "moissanite has more fire and brilliance than any other gemstone, meaning it has more sparkle than a natural diamond. Moissanite is double refractive, it is cut differently than natural diamonds to enhance the sparkle". Kim Kandry (a certified Diamon ologist and the senior vice president of marketing and brand management at JTV) states, "Moissanite has over twice the dispersion value of a diamond, which means that it has greater fire (or display of spectral colors) that is visible when you rotate the stone". When rotating the stone, the result will be a rainbow-like effect, while diamonds reflect a whiter light.
- Color: Manufacturers have perfected the creation process over time and a high-quality moissanite gemstone is colorless (grade D). Lower-quality gemstones will exhibit a yellow to a brown color. Clark & White Co. will only sell high-quality gemstones. There will be no visible imperfections in clarity or color. A good gemstone should be eye clean.
How to Clean?
Prepare a bowl of hot water with a few drops of liquid dish soap or a non-toxic commercial jewelry cleaner. Put jewelry in soapy water and gently clean with a soft bristled toothbrush. Air dry or blot with a paper towel.
