Is a Moissanite Diamond a Real Diamond?

Diamonds have been the preference for a long time when it comes to buying engagement rings, wedding bands or any other type of jewelry, everyone just wanted a diamond. Nonetheless, moissanite price has become popular among other precious stones as customers become more informed and seek alternatives that suit their budgets and values. This raises a common question; is moissanite a real diamond? To answer this query we have to examine the properties, origins and features of both moissanite and diamond as well as comparing them in terms of appearances, durability, price and ethical concerns.

Moissanite Origins:

Moissanite, a naturally occurring mineral, is silicon carbide. In 1893, Moissan discovered this mineral and it was named after him. At first, moissanite was considered as a rare foreign gem because Moissan had only found some small quantities of it in meteor crater. Nonetheless the natural occurrence of moissanite is very limited on earth hence many of the moissanites that are used by jewelers in the present day are made in laboratories.

Moissanite Versus Diamonds:

Though they may have similar appearances to an untrained eye, there are great differences between moisanitte and diamond regarding their chemical compositions and physical properties. Diamond is carbon atoms arranged in crystal structure making it one of the hardest substances found naturally on earth. On the contrary, silicon carbide makes up moisanitte which has different crystal structure. Therefore this distinction is essential while determining whether or not the name “real” can be given to maoissnanitte.

Appearance: The Visual Differences

When light strikes either stone you will notice that it reflects differently which means there is a difference on how these stones reflect light where one may look like another but actually there are differences. Moissanite, however, has the best diamond shape and fire, which is the ability to break down light into its components in a disorderly manner that shows many colors. In fact, moissanite often exhibits more fire than diamonds, making it appear more sparkly. While some people may fall in love with this added sparkle; others might feel it as too flashy compared to diamond’s less conspicuous brilliance.

Color:

Diamonds can be virtually colorless or have various shades of yellow and brown even up to rare colors such as blue and pink. On the other hand, moissanite is usually near colorless but can show a faint yellowish or greenish tint in certain types of lighting. However, they may still differ since high-quality moissanites are almost indistinguishable from colourless diamond except for those who are keen-eyed enough to notice any variation in color.

Clarity:

Moissanite as well as diamonds could have imperfections or inclusions. Nonetheless, because of being laboratory-created a lot of times there are fewer inclusions with moissanite than natural diamonds. This therefore means that sometimes high quality moissanite stone will portray better clarity than its diamond counterpart especially if viewed under magnification.

Ethical and Environmental Considerations

Another reason some people choose moissanite over diamonds is due to ethical and environmental concerns. The diamond industry has been criticized for human rights abuses throughout its history as well as environmental destruction associated with mining practices such as deforestation resulting in water pollution and habitat loss among others besides conflict financing by ‘blood’ or ‘conflict’ diamonds.

Unlike mined diamonds, moissanite is man-made and does not have ethical implications. In comparison with diamond mining, which requires massive excavation of ground that leads to deforestation, habitat loss, and water pollution as well, moissanite production has a small environmental footprint. For environmentally conscious customers, moissanite is a way to enjoy a beautiful stone without feeling guilty.

Resale Value: Investment Considerations

In terms of the resale value aspect, diamonds tend to have better holding power than moissanite. Diamonds are scarce and their market worth stems from worldwide demand and an established resale market. Nevertheless, even with this information at hand it should be noted that selling diamonds may not necessarily be a wise investment decision since they may lose value when resold.

On the other hand, moissanite does not have the same resale value as diamond. There is less demand for used versions of this produced gemstone in relation to its rarity and hence lower prices when reselling it occurs. Generally speaking buying stones as an investment would normally lead one into choosing diamonds over them; however for someone interested in beauty on budgetary grounds primarily moissanite would be an ideal choice.

Conclusion:

So is Moissanite a real diamond? The answer depends on how one defines “real.” Moissanite is not diamond in terms of chemical composition or crystal structure but it’s rather another gem type having unique properties. However, looks can be deceiving and this statement holds true – regarding physical appearance characteristics like durability or performance some similarities between these two stones exist too because frequently people choose Moissanite as an alternative to Diamond