Moissanite Jewelry

Moissanite was discovered for the first time in 1893 by a Nobel Prize-winning scientist named Dr. Henri Moissan. The mineral was subsequently named for him. Dr. Moissan first found this naturally occurring silicon carbide in a meteorite. The mineral itself was tiny, but even then it was obvious that moissanite would be used in jewelry in some way.

The problem with naturally occurring moissanite is that it is too scarce to be used in the consumer market. Consequently scientists set out to create moissanite synthetically. Synthetically produced moissanite is what you see in the jewelry market today. The gemstones are found in all fashions of jewelry as they are hard enough to be cast in metal. The stones are made in a lab, but they have their own chemical characteristics, and therefore, they are real gemstones.

Why Choose Moissanite Jewelry?

Moissanite, when it is cut properly, has significant brilliance and fire. For some it is quite hard to differentiate moissanite from diamonds. This makes moissanite a great choice for those who would like the look of a diamond without the price. A moissanite stone of the same carat as a diamond can go for a tenth of the price or less, and most people will not know the difference.

For this reason, some worry about moissanite stones passing for diamonds fraudulently. The manufacturers of moissanite have designed a tester to identify moissanite, but not all jewelers have or use these testers. If you are looking to determine if a stone is a real diamond, you should take it to a jeweler who has a moissanite tester just to be certain.