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Left ring:14KY solitaire(1ct)-$525.00
Right ring:14K solitaire(1ct)-$675.00

       History of Moissanite:

In 1893, Nobel Prize-winning French scientist Dr. Henri Moissan discovered minute quantities of a new mineral, natural silicon carbide. The mineral was located in an ancient meteorite found in the Diablo Canyon in Arizona. Later named "moissanite" in honor of Dr. Moissan, this mineral's supply was too limited for jewelry use.

In 1974 German scientists used Moissanite in their LCD's for computers. Recently, Cree developed a process for producing large, single crystals of moissanite. In 1995, a specialist in synthetic diamond observed samples of the silicon carbide crystals and suggested to the founders of Charles & Colvard that, if properly cut, the crystals could make a beautiful jewel. Charles & Colvard recognized the mineral's potential. They also realized that in order for the moissanite jewels to be used, they would have to be manufactured -- there is essentially no natural supply for this stone. In 1995, Charles & Colvard partnered with Cree (a NC-based R&D lab) to develop larger gemstones for Charles & Colvard to use in the Cree colorless development program. In conjunction with Cree, Charles & Colvard is the exclusive worldwide manufacturer and marketer of lab-created moissanite.

Moissanite is a mineral that was first discovered in fragments of the meteorite at Diablo Canyon or Meteor Crater in Arizona. As a diamond simulant, artificial Moissanite is very hard to differentiate from diamonds and can fool many gemologists. It does have many similarities. It is very hard at 9.25 on the Mohs scale (diamond is 10) and it is highly refractive with an index of refraction of 2.6 - 2.7 (diamond's RI is slightly lower at 2.42). Most important, Moissanite and diamond are thermally conductive unlike other diamond simulants and unfortunately it is this property that is used as the test for the authenticity of real diamonds. Differences however are clear and other tests can be used to differentiate the two. First of all, Moissanite is hexagonal, not isometric and therefore it is doubly refractive unlike a diamond. A close look at Moissanite gemstones should show double facet edges whereas a diamond's cut edges are singular in appearance. Also natural flaws are absent in Moissanite replaced instead by tiny, unnatural, white, ribbon-like structures that are a result of the growing process.

In the color category, both Moissanite and Diamond can be found in a variety of colors/tints. Truly colorless gemstones (GIA Diamond Color Grade of D-F) can only be had in Diamond. Diamond can vary from clear to tints in the pale yellow to brown spectrum. Moissanite always carries tints in off white to very pale yellow to a greenish hue. In practical terms, as a solitaire a good quality Moissanite looks like a colorless diamond, but compare it side-by-side to a colorless diamond and the difference is detectable. Moissanite is shaped and faceted similar to a diamond.

Moissanite usually has a yellowish tint. It is a silicon carbide composition. Upon close examination, moissanite is usually identifiable. This is because silicon carbide, in the manufacturing process becomes doubly refractive. The double refractive index diminishes the illusion of being a natural diamond. The cost of this stone is $ 365 per carat.

Here are two quotes from an article at www.professionaljeweler.com. Forrest avoids comparisons with diamond when selling colorless synthetic moissanite. "There is no comparison to diamond," he says. "We do not see or sell it as a diamond simulant." "Any gemologist who looks carefully at moissanite and has trouble making the separation between it and diamond should consider doing something else," he says. Jewelers of any caliber who were fooled were fooled because they became too complacent on relying on their diamond testers instead of using their eyes. The older style diamond testers would test false positives on both colorless sapphire and moissanite. However, diamond testers have since evolved and will no longer test positive on moissanite (so if you have moissanite, don't get too confident about your gem testing like a diamond.

Moissanite Qualities

Moissanite gemstones rival diamond, ruby, emerald, and other fine gemstones in their brilliance, fire, luster, and incredible hardness, as illustrated in the following Comparison Chart:

The Mohs Scale
Source: Kingzett's Chemical Encyclopedia

The Mohs Scale is used to determine the hardness of solids, especially minerals. It is named after the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs. As indicated in the chart above, moissanite has a Mohs Hardness rating of 9.25. The scale reads as follows, with the hardness and mineral given from softest to hardest:

Chemical Hardness

Perhaps you've wondered "Why is a diamond so hard?" Diamonds are a naturally occurring mineral, one of two crystalline forms of the element Carbon. Chemically, diamonds are pure carbon crystals, and each carbon atom is held tightly by four bonds to other carbon atoms nearby. Diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring substance known because of the strength of these bonds. You may have heard about the strength of carbon fibers -- carbon fibers have incredible strength for the same reason.

Why is silicon carbine (SiC) nearly as hard? Silicon carbine relies on carbon bonds as well for its strength. Silicon carbide is the third hardest compound known to mankind. In addition, the physical and electronic properties of SiC make it the foremost semiconductor material for short wavelength optoelectronic, high temperature, radiation resistant, and high-power/high-frequency electronic devices (hence Cree's initial interest in it). Moissanite is created with silicon and carbon, through a combination of pressure and heat.