What Is Moissanite?

Moissanite is a gemstone made of silicon carbide. French scientist Henri Moissan discovered it in 1893 in meteorite fragments in Arizona, and it carries his name. Natural moissanite is far too rare for jewelry, so all moissanite used in jewelry today is lab-created, including Tafareed's stones.

Lab-created doesn't mean imitation: it is real moissanite with the same composition, grown in a lab instead of the earth. It is its own gemstone, not a diamond, and we always call it by its name.

By the numbers

  • Composition: moissanite silicon carbide · diamond carbon
  • Source in jewelry: moissanite lab-created · diamond natural or lab-created
  • Hardness (Mohs): moissanite 9.25 · diamond 10
  • Refractive index (brilliance): moissanite ≈2.65 · diamond 2.42
  • Dispersion (colour flashes): moissanite 0.104 · diamond 0.044
  • Density: moissanite 3.21 (slightly lighter at the same size) · diamond 3.52
  • Price: moissanite much lower · diamond much higher

What it means for you

  • Sparkle: moissanite throws more rainbow flashes, especially in sunlight and strong light. Some love that fire; others prefer diamond's calmer sparkle. It's taste, not better or worse.
  • Hardness: 9.25 out of 10 makes it well suited to everyday wear and highly scratch-resistant. Diamond is harder; moissanite is close.
  • Price: you can wear a larger, clearer stone for far less than diamond.
  • Value: moissanite is bought to wear and enjoy, not as an investment. Its resale value is not like diamond's.

How Tafareed chooses its stones

  • We choose only D colour, VVS1 clarity moissanite. D is the top colour grade, completely colourless; VVS1 means no inclusions visible to the eye, and hard to see even under 10× magnification.
  • Stones of 0.5 carat and above, and all sets, come with a GRA certificate.
  • The moissanite sparkle in every piece is covered for 6 months from delivery: if your piece needs polishing, we polish it and send it back.

Care

Clean with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush, then dry with a soft cloth. Store it in its box, away from perfume and chlorine.

Questions: WhatsApp +966 53 154 5035.