Moissanite in nature is extremely rare. Discovered in 1893 by Henri Moissan in a meteor crater in Arizona, he initially mistook it for diamond, but later identified it as silicon carbide. Until the 1950’s no source other than meteorites had been discovered, but was later found as a rare inclusion in kimberlite and diamonds during mining. All applications of Moissanite today are made using synthetic material due to the scarcity of it in nature. Introduced to the jewellery market in 1998 it has fast become a popular alternative to Diamond owing to its very attractive price and its characteristics being very similar to Diamond and last but certainly not least its ethical production.
Moissanite is second only to diamond in hardness and is actually considered tougher as it has no natural fractures that can crack if subjected to impact. It is synthesised to very high standards and is equal to Diamonds with a graded clarity of VS and a colour of H - I which can be slightly noticeable during direct comparison of loose stones but considerably less so when featured in a jewellery setting.
A perfect choice for an engagement ring if working to a budget we can also use Moissanite equivalent to anything up to a D colour on the GIA grading scale, please contact us for more details.
