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So what exactly is moissanite? In a word…brilliant. From how it was first discovered, to its introduction into the jewelry market, moissanite is considered a gift from the stars.
In fact, moissanite was first discovered in a meteor crater in 1893, which makes it a gift from the heavens as well.
Originally the crystals found within this crater were identified as diamond particles. In 1904 however, an American geologist named Henri Moissan re-identified the crystal as silicon carbide. In its natural form this crystal is extremely rare. Created from synthetic material however, moissanite shines brighter than a diamond or any other gemstone. In fact moissanite’s gemological characteristics are in most cases far superior to naturally occurring gemstones, as this chart reveals.
Name |
BEAUTY |
DURABILITY |
|||
Brilliance Refractive
|
Fire
|
Luster |
Hardness
|
Toughness |
|
Moissanite | 2.65-2.69 | 0.104 | 20.4 | 9 ¼ | Excellent |
Diamond | 2.42 | 0.044 | 17.2 | 10 | Excellent* |
Ruby | 1.77 | 0.018 | 7.4 | 9 | Excellent** |
Sapphire | 1.77 | 0.018 | 7.4 | 9 | Excellent** |
Emerald | 1.58 | 0.014 | 5.1 | 7 ½ | Good to Poor |