While Moissanite is not a naturally occurring gemstone, the practical use for Moissanite has been around longer than one would expect. Moissanite in its basic form is a Silicon Carbon compound held together by covalent bonding at a molecular level. Before it was recognized for its potential beauty and use as a hard gemstone, originally moissanite was a by-product of the pig iron industry. As a ‘pig cradle’ cools, crystals of Moissanite form on the outside of the cradle, and get scraped off during the cleaning process. Moissanite is well-known for its hardness, being second only to diamond, and this black moissanite has been used as an industrial abrasive for decades.

    Moissanite in laboratory form, however, is absolutely striking in its appearance. Far superior to Cubic Zirconia, moissanite has a radiance and fire that makes it a perfect simulated diamond.  As the worlds resources become more and more depleted and our economy sinks lower, people are seeking alternate gems that still answer the call of glamour and beauty but at the same time are ethical and affordable. It is because of this that moissanite is gaining popularity.

    Moissanite jewelry is a superior investment just for the quality of the stone alone. In terms of hardness, moissanite beats other diamond substitutes hands down with a scale of 9.5 as opposed to the diamond’s 10, and of course with the hardness of 10 being the hardest in the world 9.5 is quite impressive.

    The best thing about Moissanite is its perfection. All but the most expensive and almost unattainable mined gems have flaws (or an inclusion as they are known as in the industry) however mined gems have the advantage of perfection which enhances their beauty and adds to their natural brilliance and fire. This makes even small stones particularly noticeable, and small pieces like Moissanite earrings are a great way to show off this stone.It is worth having your moissanite gem set in a quality setting as the moissanite gem is designed to last- whoever said only diamonds last forever obviously hadn’t heard of moissanite!