Moissanite, Silicon Carbode and Diamond

 

Moissanite is a mineral composed of silicon carbide. Often referred to as the gemstone from the stars, it was discovered in 1893 inside of a meteorite in Canyon Diablo, Arizona, by Nobel Prize-winning chemist Henri Moissan. Initially mistakenly identifying his discovery as diamonds, it wasn’t until 1904 that Moissan determined the crystals were, in fact, silicon carbide. This naturally occurring mineral form of what we now call moissanite was named in honor of Moissan later in his life.

  

In its natural form, moissanite remains very rare. It wasn’t until 1958 that geologists found it outside of meteorites: first, in the Earth’s upper mantle near Wyoming, and then, the following year, as inclusions in rock in Russia. 

 

Diamonds are slightly harder than moissanite. Moissanite ranks 9.25 on the Mohs scale, while diamonds rank 10 on the Mohs scale. While diamonds are slightly harder. Moissanite has a refractive index of 2.65-2.69, while diamonds have a refractive index of 2.42.

Moissanite is much less expensive than diamonds. Moissanite can be about $400 to $600 per carat while a one-carat diamond can be anywhere between $2,000 to $20,000. Naturally-occurring moissanite is extremely rare. Because of this, most of the moissanite on the market is lab-grown. It can take 2-3 months to create a single moissanite stone in a lab. 

Moissanite is a diamond simulant made of silicon carbide. A diamond simulant is a stone that has a similar appearance to a diamond but is not a real diamond. It is very difficult to tell apart a diamond & moissanite, making moissanite a common diamond alternative. It's one of the most common gemstones for engagement rings after diamonds.

Moissanite is not a diamond. Professionals grow them in laboratories because they are visually similar to diamonds, but compositionally they’re quite different. Diamonds are composed of carbon and moissanites are composed of silicon carbide.

  

While the untrained eye may visually perceive a moissanite as similar to a diamond, it has a higher refractive index — meaning it produces more rainbow ‘fire’ than a diamond when light hits the stone’s surface. Diamond is also physically harder than moissanite, which is a 9.25 on the Mohs hardness scale compared to a diamond’s rating of 10.

  

While they both feature dispersion, scintillation, and are both considered to be good thermal conductors, moissanites and diamonds are otherwise distinct.

 

By Tara Tabib, edited by R. Longwell