Do you know moissanite? Stone is cheaper option to diamond

Maximum Star of Marriage Proposals, One Engagement Ring it doesn’t necessarily have to sport a flashy diamond stone to have its due value (sorry, Marilyn Monroe).

As much as the stone has its advantages in terms of durability (it is the most resistant mineral that exists), when it comes to cost-effectiveness, looking for precious gems similar to diamonds in aesthetics and brightness, but with a lower price, can be much more economical for couples who want to prioritize other types of spending.

THE moissanite 🇧🇷 moissanite or carborundum – is the main alternative in this sense, as it is apparently very similar to diamond, but costing much less.

Originally discovered in 1893 by the French scientist Henri Moses (winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, in 1906), in Canyon Diablo, in the state of Arizona (United States), is known for being “born of the stars”, being one of the most sparkling gemstones in the world.

When Moses discovered the microscopic particles of the gem, in a crater created by a meteorite that fell to Earth, he thought they were diamonds (made of carbon). Then, after research, he concluded that, in fact, the crystals had as raw material the Silicon carbide🇧🇷

From then on, as was to be expected, moissanite was named after the scientist.

Of course, original moissanite is extremely rare and difficult to find in nature today. But there are affordable, for-purchase versions that were created in the lab after years and years of trial and error, using particles previously discovered by Moissan as a starting point.

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Moissanite X diamond: similarities and differences

The diamond wins in terms of resistance, but moissanite does not leave anything to be desired. According to the Mohs scale (created in 1812 by mineralogist Friedrich Vilar Mohs), which quantifies the hardness of minerals in values ​​ranging from one to ten, diamond is worth ten mohs, that is, it ranks as the hardest mineral ever found in nature.

Moissanite, on the other hand, has a value equivalent to 9.25 mohs – a number higher than that of stones such as sapphire and ruby, for example, which also makes it quite resistant to scratches.

Another feature that differentiates the two stones, and perhaps the most notable of them, is their shine. According to the Brilliant Earth website, moissanites and diamonds are cut in different ways, which impacts on the refraction of light from the two stones.

In a very simplified way, it is as if moissanite had a more artificial and less specific shine compared to diamond – giving that prism effect, kind of “disco ball”, which is very reminiscent of a rainbow flash, especially when hit by the Sun rays.

The larger the moissanite stone, the greater its sparkle.

In terms of color, although moissanites are considered colorless gems, when exposed to light they can show traces of yellowish or grayish tones. Diamonds (natural or created in a laboratory), on the other hand, do not usually change their tone: even when they receive different types of light, they remain white and shiny.

Remembering that the color of the stone has nothing to do with the color of the jewel, see? You can have a moissanite or diamond engagement ring in yellow, white or rose gold, it’s up to you.

Finally, as we mentioned above, the most advantageous aspect when choosing moissanites is the price – well below the value of diamonds. While the cost of a diamond ring varies according to color, carat, purity and cut (respectively color🇧🇷 carat🇧🇷 clarity and cut“the four C’s”, in English), which can get more and more expensive, the value of moissanite changes, most of the time, according to the size of the gem – and that’s all.

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Therefore, before investing in the infamous – and expensive – diamond ring, it is worth taking a few hours of your free time and researching the prices of moissanite rings. There is no shortage of the most beautiful options!