What is Moissanite? Is It Better Than Diamond?
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Someone shows you two rings. One has a diamond. One has moissanite. You look at both under the same light.
You cannot tell which is which.
That's not a sales pitch. That's the reality of moissanite in 2025 — a gemstone that's optically near-identical to diamond, harder than almost every other stone on earth, and available at a price that makes diamond feel like a choice rather than a requirement.
Here's everything you need to know — including the parts the jewelry industry would rather you didn't.
What Is Moissanite?
Moissanite is a gemstone composed of silicon carbide (SiC). It was first discovered in 1893 by French chemist Henri Moissan, who found microscopic crystals of it inside a meteorite crater in Arizona. He initially thought he'd found diamonds. He hadn't — but what he had found was something remarkable.
Natural moissanite is extraordinarily rare — far rarer than diamond. It exists in tiny quantities in meteorites and a handful of geological formations. You will almost certainly never encounter natural moissanite in a jewelry store.
What you will encounter is lab-created moissanite. Scientists developed a process to grow silicon carbide crystals in controlled laboratory conditions in the 1990s, and today virtually all moissanite in jewelry is lab-created. This is not a compromise — lab-created moissanite is chemically and physically identical to natural moissanite. The only difference is where it came from.
Moissanite vs. Diamond: The Honest Comparison
Hardness
Diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth — a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. Moissanite is a 9.25–9.5. For context, sapphire and ruby are a 9. Quartz — the mineral that makes up most dust and sand — is a 7.
What this means practically: moissanite is extremely scratch-resistant. It will not be scratched by anything you encounter in daily life. The difference between 9.25 and 10 on the Mohs scale is real but irrelevant for jewelry worn on a finger or wrist. Both stones will outlast the setting they're in.
Verdict: Diamond wins technically. Moissanite wins practically — the difference doesn't matter in real-world wear.
Brilliance and Fire
This is where moissanite surprises people.
Brilliance refers to the white light a stone reflects. Fire refers to the coloured flashes — the rainbow effect — a stone produces when light passes through it. Both are measured by a stone's refractive index.
Diamond's refractive index: 2.42.
Moissanite's refractive index: 2.65–2.69.
Moissanite has a higher refractive index than diamond. It produces more fire — more coloured flashes — than diamond of the same size. Under direct light, moissanite sparkles more intensely than diamond.
Whether this is a positive or negative depends on personal taste. Some people love the intense fire of moissanite. Others find it slightly different from the look of diamond and prefer diamond's more subdued sparkle. Neither is objectively better — they're different.
What's not debatable: moissanite is not a dull stone. It is not a lesser stone in terms of visual impact. In many lighting conditions, it outperforms diamond.
Verdict: Moissanite produces more fire than diamond. Diamond produces a slightly different, more subdued sparkle. Personal preference determines which you prefer.
Colour
Diamonds are graded on a colour scale from D (colourless) to Z (light yellow). Colourless diamonds (D–F) are the most valuable and the most sought after.
Modern moissanite is produced to be near-colourless — equivalent to approximately G–H on the diamond colour scale. In most lighting conditions and to most eyes, it appears colourless. In certain lighting — particularly warm incandescent light — some moissanite can show a very faint yellow or grey tint. This is more noticeable in larger stones.
Premium moissanite (sometimes labelled "Forever One" or "DEF colour" moissanite) is produced to be truly colourless and shows no tint in any lighting condition.
Verdict: High-quality moissanite is visually colourless. Standard moissanite may show a faint tint in certain lighting, particularly in larger sizes.
Price
This is the number that changes everything.
A 1-carat round brilliant diamond of good quality (G colour, VS2 clarity) costs approximately $4,000–$6,000 at retail. A comparable 1-carat moissanite costs $300–$600. The same visual impact, the same size, the same setting — at roughly 10% of the price.
The price difference is not because moissanite is inferior. It's because diamond pricing is controlled by a supply chain that has historically managed scarcity to maintain high prices. Moissanite is lab-created, which means supply is not artificially constrained.
What the price difference actually means: you can buy a significantly larger moissanite for the same budget as a small diamond. A 2-carat moissanite costs less than a 0.5-carat diamond of comparable quality. The visual difference between a 0.5-carat and a 2-carat stone is substantial.
Verdict: Moissanite wins decisively. Same visual impact at approximately 10% of the diamond price.
Ethics and Environmental Impact
Natural diamond mining has a documented history of environmental damage and, in some regions, human rights abuses. "Conflict diamonds" — diamonds mined in war zones and sold to finance armed conflict — remain a real issue despite the Kimberley Process certification scheme, which has significant gaps.
Lab-created moissanite has no mining footprint. It's grown in a controlled laboratory environment. There are no conflict concerns, no mining communities displaced, no open-pit mines. The environmental impact of lab production is significantly lower than mining, though not zero — the process requires energy.
Lab-grown diamonds exist as an alternative to mined diamonds with similar ethical advantages, but they still cost significantly more than moissanite.
Verdict: Moissanite is the most ethical choice among diamond-like stones. No mining, no conflict concerns.
Durability Over Time
Both diamond and moissanite are permanent stones. They do not cloud, fade, or change colour over time. A moissanite ring bought today will look identical in 50 years — assuming the setting is maintained.
This is a meaningful distinction from cubic zirconia (CZ), which is often confused with moissanite. CZ is a different stone entirely — softer (8.5 on Mohs), less brilliant, and prone to clouding over time as the surface accumulates micro-scratches. Moissanite does not cloud. It maintains its brilliance permanently.
Verdict: Both diamond and moissanite are permanent. Moissanite does not degrade over time.
Moissanite vs. Cubic Zirconia — They Are Not the Same
This confusion is common and worth addressing directly.
Cubic zirconia (CZ) is a synthetic stone made from zirconium dioxide. It's been used as a diamond simulant since the 1970s. It's inexpensive, it looks like diamond initially, and it's widely available.
But CZ is a 8.5 on the Mohs scale — softer than moissanite. It accumulates surface scratches over time, which causes it to look cloudy and dull. A CZ ring worn daily for two years will look noticeably worse than it did when new. A moissanite ring worn daily for twenty years will look the same as it did on day one.
Moissanite costs more than CZ. It is worth more than CZ. They are not interchangeable.
When you see "moissanite" in a product listing, verify it. Some sellers use the term loosely to describe any diamond simulant. Genuine moissanite will be specified as silicon carbide (SiC) and will typically come with a certificate of authenticity from the manufacturer.
Can Jewelers Tell the Difference Between Moissanite and Diamond?
With the naked eye: usually not. Moissanite and diamond are visually near-identical to most people, including most jewelers, under normal viewing conditions.
With a standard diamond tester: sometimes not. Traditional diamond testers measure thermal conductivity. Moissanite conducts heat similarly to diamond and will often register as diamond on older testers. This is why moissanite is sometimes described as "passing the diamond test" — it does, on basic equipment.
With a moissanite-specific tester: yes. Dedicated moissanite testers measure electrical conductivity, which differs between diamond and moissanite. A jeweler with the right equipment can distinguish them.
The practical implication: if you're buying moissanite and representing it as moissanite, there's no issue. If someone is selling you moissanite as diamond, that's fraud — and it happens. Always buy from transparent sellers who specify the stone clearly.
Who Should Buy Moissanite?
Buy moissanite if:
- You want the look of diamond without the price of diamond
- You want a larger stone for the same budget
- Ethics and environmental impact matter to you
- You want a stone that maintains its brilliance permanently
- You're buying a ring as a gift and want maximum visual impact per dollar
- You love intense sparkle and fire
Consider diamond if:
- The provenance and rarity of a natural stone matters to you specifically
- You're buying for investment purposes (though jewelry is generally a poor investment regardless of stone)
- You prefer diamond's slightly more subdued sparkle over moissanite's intense fire
- The person you're buying for has specifically requested a natural diamond
Moissanite at Strovlin
Several rings in our collection feature moissanite and high-quality cubic zirconia stones set in S925 sterling silver and stainless steel. Our stone-set rings are specified clearly in the product description — we don't use vague terms like "crystal" or "diamond-like" to describe what's in the setting.
If you're looking at a specific ring and want to know exactly what stone it contains and how it's set, contact us before buying. We'll tell you precisely what you're getting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is moissanite fake?
No. Moissanite is a real gemstone with a specific chemical composition (silicon carbide). "Fake" implies it's pretending to be something it's not. Moissanite is its own stone — it happens to look similar to diamond, but it's not a fake diamond any more than sapphire is a fake diamond. It's a different stone with its own properties.
Does moissanite lose its sparkle over time?
No. Moissanite is a 9.25–9.5 on the Mohs scale — extremely scratch-resistant. It does not accumulate the surface scratches that cause CZ to cloud over time. A moissanite stone maintained with basic cleaning will look the same in 20 years as it does today.
Can you tell moissanite from diamond?
With the naked eye, under normal conditions: usually not. The main visual difference is that moissanite produces more coloured fire than diamond. In direct sunlight or under a jeweler's loupe, an experienced eye can sometimes distinguish them. In everyday wear, they are visually indistinguishable to most people.
Is moissanite good for an engagement ring?
Yes — if both people are comfortable with the choice. Moissanite is durable enough for daily wear, maintains its brilliance permanently, and looks beautiful in any setting. The only consideration is whether the recipient specifically wants a natural diamond. If they do, moissanite is not the right choice regardless of its properties. If they're open to alternatives, moissanite is an excellent one.
What's the difference between moissanite and lab-grown diamond?
Lab-grown diamonds are chemically identical to natural diamonds — they're carbon, grown in a laboratory rather than mined. Moissanite is silicon carbide — a different chemical compound entirely. Lab-grown diamonds cost significantly more than moissanite (though less than natural diamonds). Moissanite has a higher refractive index and produces more fire. Both are ethical alternatives to mined diamonds.
How do I clean moissanite jewelry?
The same way you'd clean any stone-set jewelry: mild dish soap, warm water, and a soft toothbrush to clean around the setting. Moissanite is not damaged by water or mild soap. Rinse thoroughly and dry completely. For the metal setting, follow the care instructions for that specific material (sterling silver, stainless steel, etc.).
The Bottom Line
Moissanite is not a compromise. It's a choice.
It's harder than almost every other gemstone on earth. It sparkles more intensely than diamond. It's ethically produced with no mining footprint. And it costs a fraction of what diamond costs — which means you can buy a significantly larger, more impressive stone for the same budget.
The only thing moissanite doesn't have is the cultural weight of diamond — the century of marketing that made diamond synonymous with love and commitment. Whether that matters to you is a personal decision. The stone itself is exceptional.