What is Moissanite and Why Should I Choose it Over Real Diamonds?

    Hey there hot stuff! Did you like school? If your answer was yes then this will be nothing new to you. If you answered NO, buckle up… this post is going to be jam packed with information and facts about Moissanite (you won't be quizzed on anything, don't worry!). 

    Let's jump right into the basics, let's call this class- Moissanite versus Natural Diamonds 101!

Diamonds, one of the world's most popular and leading gemstones, which were formed 3.3 billion years ago. They have been around since the fourth century in India, although not mined or seen as “anything special” until the 1800’s. A British company  that you may have heard of, DeBeers,created a monopoly that lasted decades over the diamond industry. Mined on South African farms, the diamonds were sent to the elite in Europe and the United states. While not everyone could afford even the smallest carat, diamonds upheld the standard of being unequivocally the utmost status symbol. While over the past few decades diamonds have been the source of plenty of debates and controversy, they have stayed in the spotlight and held their standard of being “a girl's best friend”. Take the example of what happens immediately following a proposal. What's  one of the first questions the bride to be is asked?

“Lets see the ring!!" 

"How many carats?" 

"Wow, how much do you think he spent?!” 

    Did you know that diamonds lose 50% of their value as soon as they leave the store? Much like a car, its value depreciates faster than we’d like to admit. Now let's make a few  comparisons to Moissanite diamonds, the ones we have here at Black Diamonds- New York. Moissanite was first founded by a scientist in Arizona in the late 1800s. He was studying a meteorite crater that had landed at Diablo Canyon. He extracted a stone that was thought to be a diamond. Upon further investigation, after some lab tests, it was determined that this diamond-like stone was filled with silicon carbide- has a structure silimar to mined (real) diamonds.

    Moissanite can be compared to real diamonds on a few different levels. First off - its durability. To test the durability of minerals - scientists utilize the mohs scale of relative hardness. It refers to the durability of the mineral. Diamonds are rated a 10 on the scale while moissanite comes in right behind 9.25. This makes it very hard to differentiate between the minerals in addition to its thermal conductivity- which is basically how much electricity a material conducts. Moissanite and diamonds are  very similar in their conductivity. Both will pass the diamond test.

   You may have heard of the term “brilliance” when speaking about diamonds. It is how much light is reflected off of the interior of the stone.  The brilliance of a stone is based off of its refractive index, or, the speed of which light travels throughout a material. The refractive index of Moissanite is actually higher than that of a diamond, making the Moissanite “sparkle” more. While diamonds have a few pathways in its interior creating its  signature shine and sparkle, Moissanite is classified as doubly refractive, but hey, we love a good sparkle here so the more shine the better! Additionally, moissanite like diamonds won’t lose its shine over time.

   Today, it’s clear why real diamonds and Black Diamonds- New York's moissanite, are considered to be one of the most precious gemstones to date. All the more reason why a diamond is the best way to capture those special moments we celebrate in life.

    Although both gemstones are available at blackdiamondsnewyork.com, this blog post is written for those who are looking for more affordable diamond rings without going broke. We get it ladies (and gents), weddings are already expensive, wedding rings don't have to be.

    At the end of the day, while there is virtually NO way to tell a diamond and moissanite apart, ask yourself- why would I choose the more expensive one that will lose half its value?

Mad difference in price tag. No difference in appearance. Happy shopping! :)