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In recent years, moissanite has quickly grown to become one of the most popular diamond alternatives. However, it’s a relatively new addition to the engagement ring world and some couples might be wary to commit to the moissanite. After all, it’s not cheap and it’s not a diamond, right?
Maybe, but moissanite has a lot going for it.
Let’s take a look at the main concerns that you might have over buying moissanite and what real customers are saying about it.
Are moissanites worth the cost?
Buying an engagement ring is a big choice and not one to be made lightly. Not only is it an expression of your love and commitment to each other, but it’s also a major financial decision.
The benefit of a moissanite as opposed to a diamond is that it’s a lot more affordable. If a 1 carat diamond costs $6000, a similar moissanite might only cost $1000. This is a significant saving but it’s still not exactly cheap.
Some might think that buying a diamond is an investment whereas a moissanite might not retain its value. Unfortunately, a diamond isn’t an investment and has no inherent value over a moissanite.
If you doubt this, try selling a diamond for the price you bought it for. Unlike gold, diamonds don’t maintain their value. They’re like cars or household goods – as soon as you buy them, they drop in price.
So back to talking about value retention.
Remember that diamond you bought for $6000? You can expect to sell it for $3000 or for about 50% of the price you paid for it, meaning you’ve lost $3000. Even if you don’t make any money back on your $1000 moissanite, you’re still saving $2000 than you would if you bought a diamond.
The conclusion:
Moissanites save you money.
Here’s what one reddit user says:
IMO diamonds have no inherent value over moissanite, so I don’t see a reason to pay a premium for them. IMO diamonds are not prettier than moissanite. Resale is a non-issue because I’m never going to sell my engagement ring (although I hear diamonds don’t have great resale anyway so maybe that’s an irrelevant point). So I struggle to really see what advantage diamonds have.
Do moissanites look fake?
Moissanites are so similar in appearance to diamonds that they make excellent substitutes. In most cases, no one would even know the difference unless you told them.
However, there’s a caveat to this.
The trouble with moissanite is that the larger they get, the more pronounced the ‘rainbow effect’ they tend to exhibit. This refers to flashes of color that emanates from the stone when viewed under natural lighting and occurs due to moissanite’s high refractive index (2.65 as opposed to diamonds’ 2.42).
In smaller stones, up to 1.5 carats, this rainbow effect is not clearly visible. But if you’re going for a large moissanite over 1.5 carats, this becomes something to think about. Your stone will sparkle and display fiery flashes under lights, which might not be the look you’re after. If you want to avoid this, opt for a smaller moissanite. They look near identical to diamonds.
The other thing that can make a moissanite appear fake is the fact that your friends and family would know that you couldn’t possibly afford a 4-carat diamond. If you’re flashing a large stone on your finger, they’re going to wonder if its fake.
According to one reddit user:
I LOVE my moissanite. It is so sparkly, mine is 1 carat. My mom has a diamond the same shape/size and the only difference is mine is sparklier! No one in my family could tell (they were wildly impressed by my fiancé) told my mom and she agreed that she could not tell. We haven’t told anyone else because I made fiancé go with moissanite for financial reasons. Couldn’t be happier!
Are moissanites ethical and sustainable?
One way that moissanite trumps natural diamonds is that they’re ethical and sustainable and have minimal impact on the environment. This isn’t to say that other stones aren’t sustainable, it’s just that diamonds have come under fire in recent decades due to unethical practices in the industry.
With the release of movies like Blood Diamond, which shows the dark underbelly of the diamond industry, many couples are moving towards more ethical options. If you’re concerned about buying a conflict diamond or the huge devastation that diamond mining has on the planet, a moissanite might be a more suitable option for you.
According to one reddit user:
I literally just got mine yesterday (about to post a photo!) and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen 😍 I wanted something big and sparkly and if I’d gone for a diamond it just would not have been affordable. I’m also proud to wear something that is sustainable, environmentally friendly and ethical. 12/10 would buy again!
What about moissanite oil slicks?
Sometimes moissanite can display what’s known as an ‘oil slick’. This refers to a filmy layer that can coat the surface of the stone. The oil slick is dreaded in the moissanite industry and many potential buyers are afraid that they’ll fall victim to this infamous issue.
There’s no reason to be worried as the oil slick is generally temporary and comes right off with the right polish and cleaning. The reason moissanites can have an oil slick is because of production process or the chemicals used. But using silver polish and giving the stone a good scrub with a brush or a cloth, you can get rid off the stains. Most people don’t find that the oil slick is permanent and proper care can keep it away.
According to one reddit user:
I often rave of moissanite and at times people have said they wished they knew about it when they were researching rings…. I’ve been engaged a year and a half and with daily wear have never had it cleaned and people ask constantly if it was just cleaned.
Are moissanites as hard as diamonds?
In terms of durability, moissanite ranks second only to diamonds when it comes to gemstones. Diamonds are a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale, but moissanite is a 9.25, which is the second hardest gemstone used in jewelry. Sapphires and rubies sit at 9 while morganite, aquamarine and emeralds are 8.
This goes to show that moissanite is extremely hard and scratch resistant. They’re tough and don’t easily break or chip regardless of the exposure they receive. So while diamonds do have a slight edge over moissanite, it’s only by a small extent.
Your jeweler told you that moissanites are a terrible idea.
If you ask your local jeweler about moissanite, you might get a range of responses. Some might be honest and tell you the truth, whereas others might say that moissanites aren’t durable, they change and fade in color or that they just look bad in general. You’ll have to take this kind of information with a grain of salt.
Diamonds are most jewelers’ bread and butter, and it’s in their interests to keep this industry alive. Some might even go so far as to show you ‘bad-looking’ moissanite next to a diamond, to prove their point that moissanites aren’t a good idea.
One reader stated that their local jeweler wouldn’t resize her moissanite ring, saying that the process was different with moissanite. If this isn’t an outright lie, I don’t know what is.
Now, this is not to say that every jeweler is like this. But in general, do your own research and if you’re going to look at moissanites in person, choose a reputable moissanite dealer that shows you high-quality moissanite. This way, you can make an informed decision based on facts and not be guided by the jewelers opinions.
Moissanite originated in a lab.
There’s no getting around this. Moissanite does come from a lab and isn’t a natural gemstone. But what many people don’t know is that there is such a thing as natural moissanite, only it’s so rare and hard to come by that it’s impossible to have a natural moissanite engagement ring.
While the moissanite on the market is an achievement of science and technology, natural moissanite came to earth on an asteroid. It was first discovered in a meteor crater in Arizona by Henry Moissan, who thought the stone was diamonds. Natural moissanite is only found in a few places in the world, mainly in meteorites and upper mantle rocks.
This means that moissanite truly is stardust or space diamond. It’s a material that came from outer space and was replicated on earth. Now how’s that for an origin story?
According to one reddit user:
Some older relatives have been confused, but it plays well into our non-traditional theme. My 85-year-old grandmother was particularly confused, so I simplified things and told her we wanted something that science created to be the symbol of our love.
