September 21, 2009
What is Moissanite?
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
June 14, 2009
Unfortunately A Synthetic Ruby Is Not as Valuable
Jennifer brought in a 2 carat ruby ring she had inherited from her grandmother. It was purchased in the forties and she wanted to know how much it was worth. The ring was in 14k white gold and the ruby was a beautiful red color.
We had explained to her that she may have a very valuable piece if it was genuine. She said she knew it was a ruby so she asked how much was it worth.
We told her that it could be a synthetic ruby is a real ruby that is created in a laboratory. The technology to created synthetic gemstones was already known in the thirties and just because the ring was old did not mean that the ruby she had was genuine.
A genuine nature created ruby has straight striations, much like the rings of a tree when it is formed. A synthetic ruby is grown so quickly that the striations are curved.
All we had to do was examine the ruby under the microscope to determine whether it was genuine or synthetic. Unfortunately much to her disappointment curved striations were evident. She had a beautiful synthetic ruby, nice but not nearly as valuable as a genuine one.
Russell Oshita
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
May 27, 2009
Synthetic Gemstones
Every now and then someone asks about synthetic gemstones and wonders if they are real or fake.
Synthetic gemstones are real gemstones that are created in a laboratory. There are synthetic rubies, emeralds, sapphires, alexandrites, and several others. All are real just man-made. As such these are produces in a relatively short time and in indefinite amounts that the value is much lower than the limited amounts of the rare natural gemstones that are found in the earth.
You should not be confused with stimulant gemstones that are mostly colored glass or other materials that may look like a ruby, sapphire, emerald or one of the real gemstones.
Russell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists, Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
