Randy just heard about moissanite and asked to know more about it.

Moissanite is a lab created gemstone. It is made in the laboratory from carbon and silicon using heat and pressure.

It is commonly used as a diamond simulant, meaning that it is a diamond substitute but is not a diamond. It may be the  simulant that looks the closest to a diamond.

It is carbon based like a diamond and its thermal conductivity is similar to a diamond. It will fool conventional thermal diamond testers and will register as a diamond. You would need a moissanite tester to confirm that it is not a diamond.

It has a refractive index  is also similar to a diamonds and will appear as brilliant. Unlike a diamond it is double refractive whereas a diamond is single refractive. A moissanite  has more “fire” (dispersion) than a diamond. It also appears a little darker in the J-L color range with a tinge of yellow to green.

It has a hardness of 9.5 on the Mohs scale so it it very durable. Diamonds are a 10 on the Mohs scale.

As a lab created gemstone it is not a diamond and is therefore not as valuable as a diamond. It is approximately one-twentieth the value of diamonds.

Moissanites because its properties are similar to a diamond it can be considered a “fabulous fake” and it may be just the right fit for some people.

Russell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii