When the word “Diamond” comes in your mind you will definitely think first about the Natural Diamond. But now a day there are many alternative of diamonds is available such like Lab-made diamonds (it’s include CVD and in CVD also has many types) Gemstone, Moissanite and CZ (Cubic Zirconia).

As we are making jewelry using Moissanite and CZ stones here we are going to provide some details of stones we are using in our jewelry.

Cubic Zirconia(CZ) is crystalline cubic form of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). This synthesized material is mostly colorless and hard. but it can be made with variety of colors in factory. Production of cubic zirconia was beginning in 1976.

Moissanite is one kind of natural made stone and is very rare in it natural form. It’s a composition of silicon carbide and crystalline polymorphs. Chemical formula of moissanite is SiC and its rare mineral and first discovered in 1893 by French chemist “Henri Moissan”.

Cubic zirconia has good durability and it has close visual likeness to diamond. so it’s widely used alternative competitor gemologically and economically in jewelry.

Moissanite is tough and its hardness is very near to natural diamond. Also its sparkle, toughness and shine are very close to Diamonds. It’s Cheaper than diamond but little expensive compared to cubic zirconia.

History of Moissanite

In 1893, Moissanite crystal first identified as diamond but later in 1904 it was identified as silicon carbide. Do you know artificial silicon carbide synthesized in the lab by “Edward G. Acheson” two years before discovery of moissanite in 1893 by “Henri Moissan”.

In 1958, Inside the upper mantle Green River Formation in Wyoming USA moissanite was found and the following year, from a diamond mine in Yakutia (Republic of Sakha).

Properties of Moissanite

Crystalline structure of moissanite is similar to diamonds, it’s held together with strong covalent bonding. Because of this property of moissanite can withstand up to 52.1 gigapascals high pressure. Its color varies and somehow it also graded D to K on diamond grading scale.

On Mohs hardness scale based on ranking 1 to 10 Diamonds is 10 and Moissanite is 9.25 to 9.50. Which make Moissanite the second hardest on Mohs scale.

  • Compare to Diamond, cubic zirconia and Moissanite stone using widely in jewelry industries because both are very affordable to anyone who can’t get natural diamonds jewelry. cubic zirconia can scratch easily while the moissanite is very durable and it cannot be scratch easily as cubic zirconia.
  • Compared to cubic zirconia Moissanite is not available in variety of colors. Moissanite available in few selected colors and shades of this colors (Yellow, Grey, Green, Aqua, Black and colorless). Rest of other colors like Red, Amethyst, Pink are rare.