Moissanite Information

HIstory

• Most likely moissanite was first deposited on the Earth by meteorites over 50,000 years ago. In 1893, Nobel-prize winning chemist Dr. Ferdinand Moissan discovered moissanite deposits during an excavation of a meteor crater site in Arizona. Dr. Moissan identified the chemical compound silicon carbide (SiC) from the moissanite fragments; it was later named moissanite in his honor. Moissanite was immediately recognized for its potential as a gemstone, but its rarity delayed its introduction to the jewelry market.

Significance

• Moissanite is highly valued because it is very rarely found in nature. Moissanite can now be created in a lab by using small moissanite crystals as seeds. A patented thermal growth process uses the seeds to grow gem-quality jewels. Gemstone-quality moissanite is comparable in appearance to diamonds. Even though moissanite is grown in a lab, because the process is proprietary information, moissanites are still considers a rare and valuable gem.

Features

• Gem stones are classified by their color, ability to separate white light into the spectral colors of the rainbow (dispersion) and ability to reflect white light and appear shiny or polished (brilliance). Moissanite is only available in white, similar to the color of a diamond. Moissanites have one of the highest ratings for dispersion; at 0.104, moissanite has a dispersion rate twice that of diamonds. Moissanite is highly rated for brilliance; its brilliance rating is higher than for diamonds, rubies and sapphires.

Benefits

• Though moissanite is primarily valued for its use as a gemstone, it is also valued for its strength. The only stone that is stronger than moissanite is the diamond. Moissanite is cheaper to produce than diamonds, making them useful for tools like anvil cells and blades that require the strength of diamond. Moissanite also has conductive properties similar to diamonds; in the future they may be used in motor circuits.

Misconceptions

• Moissanite crystals are owned by several companies, but only one company, Charles &Colvard, has patented the process that grows crystals into gemstones. Though moissanite is comparable to diamond, they are not the same chemical compound; moissanite is silicon carbide and diamonds are pure carbon.