Moissanite Frequently Asked Questions
As best as possible, we will try to create a page of questions and answers that reflect the common questions consumers have regarding Moissanite and alternative brilliant jewelry products.
Q: What is Moissanite?
A: Moissanite is not a diamond. Moissanite is silicon carbide (SiC), a naturally occurring mineral found in very limited quantities or as minute particles in the earth. The rarity of natural Moissanite crystals large enough for jewelry prohibits their use.
Only recently, through the power of advanced technology, Charles & Colvard developed a way to produce in a laboratory, large gem-quality crystals which can be faceted into near-colorless jewels with incomparable fire and brilliance.
Q: Is Moissanite another fancy way to call a Cubic Zirconia?
A: No. Moissanite is NOT a Cubic Zirconia. Cubic
Zirconia (or CZ), the cubic crystalline form of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2),
is a mineral that is widely synthesized for use as a diamond
simulant. The synthesized material is hard, optically flawless and
usually colorless, but may be made in a variety of different colors.
It should not be confused with zircon, which is a zirconium silicate
(ZrSiO4). Cubic Zirconia is extremely rare in nature.
Because of its low cost, durability, and close visual likeness to
diamond, synthetic cubic Zirconia has remained the
most gemologically and economically important diamond simulant since
1976. Its main competition as a synthetic gemstone is the more
recently cultivated material, synthetic Moissanite. Consumers
were introduced to Moissanite in 1998 and many are finding the
higher brilliance and characteristics to be an affordable
alternative to diamonds and creating significant competition for CZ
products.
Q: What are the technical characteristics of Moissanite?
A: See Chart Below:
| Material | Formula | Refractive index 589.3 nm |
Dispersion 431 - 687 nm |
Hardness (Mohs' scale) |
Density (g/cm3) |
Thermal Cond. |
State of the art |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond | C | 2.417 | 0.044 | 10 | 3.52 | Excellent | 1476 – |
| Artificial Simulants: | |||||||
| Glasses | Silica with Pb, Al, &/or Tl | ~ 1.6 | > 0.020 | < 6 | 2.4 – 4.2 | Poor | 1700 – |
| White Sapphire | Al2O3 | 1.762 – 1.770 | 0.018 | 9 | 3.97 | Poor | 1900 – 1947 |
| Spinel | MgO·Al2O3 | 1.727 | 0.020 | 8 | ~ 3.6 | Poor | 1920 – 1947 |
| Rutile | TiO2 | 2.62 – 2.9 | 0.33 | ~ 6 | 4.25 | Poor | 1947 – 1955 |
| Strontium titanate | SrTiO3 | 2.41 | 0.19 | 5.5 | 5.13 | Poor | 1955 – 1970 |
| YAG | Y3Al5O12 | 1.83 | 0.028 | 8.25 | 4.55 – 4.65 | Poor | 1970 – 1975 |
| GGG | Gd3Ga5O12 | 1.97 | 0.045 | 7 | 7.02 | Poor | 1973 – 1975 |
| Cubic Zirconia | ZrO2 | ~ 2.2 | ~ 0.06 | ~ 8.3 | ~ 5.7 | Poor | 1976 – |
| Moissanite | SiC | 2.648 – 2.691 | 0.104 | 8.5-9.25 | 3.2 | High | 1998 – |
The "refractive index(es)" column shows one refractive index for singly refractive substances, and a range for doubly refractive substances.