What You Need to Know to Avoid Falling Victim to Diamond Imitations!
Natural diamonds are among the most beautiful and valuable gemstones in the world. They are renowned for their uniform crystals composed of a single chemical element, which results in exceptional light reflection. This has given diamonds a long history as a symbol of luxury and romance throughout the ages.
However, with the increasing demand for diamonds, cases of fraud in the diamond industry, including the use of other stones sold as diamonds, have also risen. In this article, we will take a closer look at one of these stones that is sometimes sold as a diamond: moissanite.
Diamonds and moissanite are among the most famous and widely used gemstones in the jewelry industry. Although they share some similarities, there are fundamental differences that set them apart. In this article, we will examine the differences between moissanite and diamonds.
Chemical Composition:
- Diamonds consist of crystallized carbon formed under high pressure and temperature deep within the Earth, held together by covalent bonds.
- Moissanite, on the other hand, consists of carbon and silicon.
Visual Properties:
- Diamonds are known for their exceptional brilliance and sparkle due to their ability to disperse light extremely well and high refractive index. This results in the distinct phenomenon of diamond sparkle.
- Moissanite has a similar sparkle to diamonds, which can make it resemble a diamond. However, experts in jewelry can differentiate between them upon close inspection.
Mohs Scale of Hardness:
The Mohs scale is used to classify most gemstones, with the highest number being 10. A substance with a higher number can scratch a substance with a lower number.
- Diamonds are the hardest gemstones, ranking 10 on the Mohs scale. In other words, diamonds can scratch all other gemstones with lower numbers but can only be scratched by another diamond.
- Moissanite is slightly less hard than diamond and ranks around 9.25 on the Mohs scale. It is close to the hardness of diamond but cannot scratch a diamond, while a diamond can scratch moissanite. This makes it challenging to distinguish between them.
- For reference, gold ranks at 2.5 on the Mohs scale.
Price:
- Diamonds are among the most valuable and costly gemstones in the world. Their price is determined based on four internationally recognized criteria: clarity, color, carat weight, and cut. The price of diamonds tends to increase over time, especially when accompanied by certification from reputable laboratories.
- Moissanite is significantly less expensive than diamonds and loses its value immediately upon purchase.
To protect yourself as a consumer, make sure to purchase from reputable sources. At Moelry, we guarantee that all our jewelry is made from natural diamonds, and we provide clarity grading. Be cautious of excessively cheap diamond offers, as this may indicate something is amiss.