Everything you need to know about the stone in your studs, in plain words.
What is moissanite?
Moissanite is silicon carbide (SiC), a gemstone in its own right. It is not a diamond, and it is not cubic zirconia or glass. Natural moissanite is extremely rare, so the moissanite used in jewelry, including ours, is lab-created.
Where it comes from
In 1893, the French chemist Henri Moissan studied rock from Meteor Crater, near Canyon Diablo in Arizona, and found tiny sparkling crystals. He first thought they were diamonds. They turned out to be silicon carbide, and the mineral was later named moissanite in his honor. Moissan won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1906.
Moissanite vs diamond vs cubic zirconia
Where diamond wins, we say so.
| Compare | Moissanite | Diamond | Cubic zirconia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brilliance (refractive index) | 2.65–2.69 | 2.42 | 2.15–2.18 |
| Fire (dispersion) | 0.104 | 0.044 | 0.058–0.066 |
| Hardness (Mohs) | 9.25 | 10 Diamond wins | 8–8.5 |
| Price for this look | $64.99 a pair | $7,400 | $46.47 |
| Lab-created | Yes | Mined or lab-grown | Yes |
Fire and brilliance
Brilliance is the white light a stone sends back to your eye; fire is the flashes of rainbow color. Moissanite bends light more than diamond (refractive index 2.65–2.69 vs 2.42) and splits it into colors more than twice as strongly (dispersion 0.104 vs 0.044). That is why moissanite throws so much rainbow fire, the sparkle our name comes from.
Is it hard enough for every day?
Moissanite rates 9.25 on the Mohs hardness scale. Among gemstones used in jewelry, only diamond, at 10, is harder; sapphire and ruby are 9. That makes it well suited to jewelry you wear every day. Store it apart from your other pieces so the stones cannot scratch each other.
What does “1 ct DEW” mean?
DEW means diamond equivalent weight. Each of our stones is 6.5mm across, the size of a 1-carat diamond, so we call it 1 ct DEW. Moissanite is a little lighter than diamond, so the stone itself weighs a bit less than 1 carat.
What is the GRA card?
Each earring comes with a GRA card from our maker, listing the stone’s details. GRA is a private lab, not the GIA, so think of the card as the maker’s record of the stone rather than an independent diamond report. Any jeweler can confirm the stone is genuine moissanite, and our 60-day guarantee is built on exactly that.
Caring for moissanite
- Take them off to shower, swim or sleep
- Clean with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush, then pat dry with a lint-free cloth
- Store in the gift box, apart from other jewelry