Moissanite is an affordable diamond simulant that's becoming a popular alternative for engagement rings and jewelry thanks to its alluring flashes of color and price point. Just like diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, moissanite is graded based on several quality factors known as the 4C's. To help you make informed moissanite purchases, we will guide you through the 4C's of stone grading and every aspect of the moissanite grading scale.
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Color grade refers to the amount of color present in the stone graded from a scale of D for colorless to Z for a slight yellow tint. Moissanite color grades are broken down into three major groups:
Clarity grade indicates the number of imperfections, known as inclusions. Nearly all gemstones have inclusions, but luckily for moissanite, most of its inclusions are not visible to the naked eye and require intense magnification to be seen.
Moissanite's clarity is graded depending on the number of inclusions the stone has. These grades can be brown down into five easy to understand categories:
Needles: These thin, needle-like imperfections are the most common type of inclusions for moissanite. Needles are difficult to see without close observation, and only compromise the moissanite's beauty if many needles are clustered together.
Mineral Crystals: These are crystals within that can appear light or dark.
Clouds: These are milky looking spots within the stone, and when viewed under magnification, you can see that they are actually clusters of needle and crystal inclusions.
Feathers: These inclusions are miniature fractures within the gem, which look like a crack or a feather. Never buy moissanite with many feathers because they will have weaker structural integrity and can more easily fracture.
Knots: These inclusions look like white or transparent crystals. Avoid moissanite with many knots because they also worsen the stone's structural integrity.
Chips: These inclusions are shallow openings on the stone's surface, typically resulting from its owner accidentally damaging the moissanite during daily wear. Chips are commonly seen on the gemstone's culet, facet junctions, and girdle.
Cavities: Just like a tooth cavity, moissanite cavities are openings on the stone that easily trap dirt and oil, creating unsightly dark spots.
Cut grade denotes how well a stone is cut and with grades ranging from Excellent to Poor. With excellent cut grades, light can best travel throughout the stone and sparkle. Alternatively, poorly cut stones will not allow light to effectively travel throughout the stone, resulting in a lifeless looking moissanite. The grade chart for cut is simply:
For diamonds, carat weight refers to how heavy the stone is. However, moissanite is less dense than diamonds which makes the two stones difficult to compare by weight. Due to the density difference, a moissanite's “carat weight” is denoted by the stone's size in millimeters. For example, a one-carat diamond is comparable to a 6.5mm moissanite.
Knowing moissanite grades is valuable for shoppers because the knowledge to fully understand the characteristics they want their stone to have, allows them to shop with confidence.
While ideal grades can vary by a person's taste, we recommend getting a colorless moissanite with D to F color grades, clarity grades that fall from FL to VS1, and has an Excellent or Very Good cut grade. With these desirable grades, you will be sure to have an exceptionally beautiful moissanite stone.
Thinking about buying a Moissanite ring and want to know what you should look for? You’re in good company. Many couples today choose Moissanite engagement rings or moissanite wedding bands due to their beauty, affordability, and sustainability. But, there are a few catches to getting it right. Read on to learn what to make sure you ask for in your Moissanite engagement ring!
No, Moissanite is its own gemstone. This means that Moissanite sparkles differently, has a different hardness, and a different chemical makeup than Diamond. Practically, Moissanite has much more colored sparkle (“fire”) than a Diamond, it is a 9.25 on the hardness scale (Diamond is a 10), and Moissanite is carbon silicate (whereas Diamond is pure carbon). This means your Moissanite will repel dirt and oil better than a diamond!
In addition, Moissanite is a man-made gemstone, meaning it can be cut in any size or shape you want! Natural diamonds are limited to the size and shape the Earth grows them. So, choosing a Moissanite for your engagement ring center stone gives you a ton of flexibility. It is also super sustainable – no mining is needed when you choose Moissanite!
Yes. There are three basic grades of Moissanite. When Moissanite first came out, technology had only advanced so far as to make yellowish-green stones. We call this “classic” Moissanite, and it is still on the market (look out!). Because what people really wanted was a good diamond alternative, gem scientists continued to experiment. Today, Charles and Colvard offers colorless and near-colorless Moissanite. Colorless Moissanite looks like an E color diamond, whereas near-colorless Moissanite looks more like an H colored diamond. These newer stones are gorgeous Moissanite engagement ring options.
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Yes! High end Forever One Moissanite rings have a healthy resale market. “We have seen a significant increase in both the amount of listings of moissanite rings as well as the amount of sales.” says Mara Opperman of IDoNowIDont.com, the engagement ring resale marketplace. So, while there is a persistent rumor circulating the web, the results speak for themselves. People who love moissanite love it brand new, and on the secondary market! So, you don’t need to worry.
Not if you love Moissanite for what it is, instead of what it isn’t. We have thousands of happy Moissanite customers! Couples who choose Moissanite because they like the super-firey look of it, or who love that it is super sustainable, will love their Moissanite forever. On the other hand, those who purchase Moissanite for the sole intent of trying to “pass it off” as a Diamond may wish they had that Diamond in the long run.
Yes it will. Moissanite is a beautiful gemstone that is very hard – a 9.25 on the hardness scale! So, just like a Diamond is forever, so too, is Moissanite. “Moissanite has become a popular choice for engagement rings. Moissanite, like diamond, is a very durable stone.” notes Opperman, citing IDoNowIDont’s increasing amount of estate and recycled Moissanite.
Yes! Moissanite is among the most ethical, sustainable engagement ring choices out there. This is because Moissanite is a man made stone. So, no mining is needed to give you a perfectly brilliant Moissanite.
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Moissanite ring sustainable?One thing I think many people do not consider when purchasing their Moissanite engagement ring is, what about the side stones? If you choose a Moissanite center stone for sustainability purposes – did you also make sure your ring’s side stones were lab made or Moissanite too? What about the metal – is it recycled? And what about your moissanite wedding band? If you want to make sure your ring is super sustainable – make sure that the whole ring, and not just the Moissanite, is sustainably sourced.
Bonus! Choosing Lab Diamond side stones is the best way to get max sparkle!
We personally don’t suggest trying to pass it off as a diamond because although they look very similar, there are visual differences that can be seen with the naked eye. Plus, we think Moissanite has its own bragging rights! There’s no shame in letting someone know you chose a super-sustainable gem that’s more brilliant than Diamond!
That said, colorless and near-colorless Moissanite do look similar to Diamond. And, Moissanite is also the only gemstone (other than Diamond) that “passes” as a Diamond on a standard handheld diamond point tester. But remember: Moissanite’s extreme fire (its dispersion is twice that of Diamond!) gives it away in most brilliant-cut stones.
Pro tip: Emerald and Asscher cut Moissanite “pass” much more easily, as these shapes glimmer instead of sparkle. So, that telltale fire isn’t as noticeable.
Moissanite has telltale fire as well as facet doubling from a side view. So, when trying to tell if someone has a Moissanite ring or a diamond ring, move the ring around and watch its sparkle carefully. Does it have an equal amount of white and colored light? Or, does it have a ton of sparkly colored light? Stones with extreme fire may be a Moissanite. Another way to tell is by looking through the stone’s side facets down to the culet (the bottom point). If the culet appears doubled, you do not have a diamond.
Searching around for the right Moissanite ring center stone can be a bit confusing because of the extreme difference in price. However, this difference is easily explainable. Classic Moissanite (the yellowish-green one) is much less expensive than colorless and near-colorless Moissanite. Simply, it’s just not as pretty! Also, lesser quality Moissanite isn’t cut very well. I’ve even seen low-end Moissanite be cut the wrong direction, so all its facets look doubled head on! Yikes! So, when looking for your Moissanite engagement ring’s center stone, make sure you select a high quality, colorless gem like Forever One.
The cost of your Moissanite ring is the cost of the Moissanite center stone plus your ring setting. Do Amore recommends man made diamonds (also called lab created) for accent stones. However, we can custom create your moissanite engagement ring or moissanite wedding band with accent moissanite, too! So, if you want a fully sustainable Moissanite ring, simply write us a note that you want Moissanite accent stones when you place your order!
Carat SizeGIA Certified Diamond (Round, I-color, VS2)Classic MoissaniteForever One Moissanite.5$1,300+$89$2691.0$5,000+$269$5991.5$13,000+$449$1,049
Right here! Start by choosing a setting, or, start by choosing your gorgeous Moissanite center stone.
Once you’ve selected your ring or Moissanite, simply select “pair with” and then select what’s missing. Do Amore offers a selection of truly beautiful rings made with conflict-free diamonds (or Moissanite!) side stones, along with recycled metals. If you’re looking for a moissanite wedding band, we can make you one! And, every ring purchased from Do Amore helps build a well for an international community in need.
We’d love to! Send us a note here, or email us at care@doamore.com. We have been working with Moissanite for a long time and love it. We’ll help you select a beautiful center stone for your perfect Moissanite engagement ring!
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