Gemstone Education · 2026
Moissanite: Born in a Meteorite,
Made for Your Jewelry Box
In 1893, a French chemist pulled crystals from a meteorite crater in Arizona and thought he'd found diamonds. He hadn't. What he found was rarer — and over a century later, scientists figured out how to grow it in a lab. The result is one of the most brilliant gemstones on earth.
It Started in Outer Space
Henri Moissan was examining rock samples from a meteor crater near Canyon Diablo, Arizona when he stumbled across crystals so brilliant he assumed they were diamonds. It took him eleven years to realize his mistake. What he'd actually found was silicon carbide — a compound so rare on Earth that it had never been classified as a mineral before. Scientists named it moissanite in his honor.
Natural moissanite is, for practical purposes, impossible to source. It exists in trace quantities inside meteorites and certain deep-earth rock formations — never in amounts large enough to cut a gemstone. The entire global supply of natural moissanite wouldn't fill a teacup.
That scarcity is exactly why, a century after Moissan's discovery, researchers set out to recreate it. In the 1990s, a North Carolina company called Charles & Colvard became the first to produce lab-created moissanite suitable for jewelry — and the gemstone industry hasn't been the same since.
How Moissanite Is Actually Made
The short answer: silicon and carbon, extreme heat, and a lot of patience. The longer answer involves one of the most carefully controlled manufacturing processes in the gemstone world.
Moissanite is composed of silicon carbide (SiC) — one carbon atom bonded to four silicon atoms in a tight tetrahedral structure. That molecular arrangement is what gives it its extraordinary hardness, heat resistance, and optical brilliance. Replicating it in a lab means recreating the extreme conditions under which it formed naturally — but in a controlled, repeatable way.
The two primary methods used today are Physical Vapor Transport (PVT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). Here's how each works:
The Step-by-Step Process
Silicon Carbide Powder Preparation
High-purity silicon and carbon are combined and prepared as a source material. Purity at this stage matters enormously — any contamination will affect the clarity and color of the final gemstone.
Crystal Growth (PVT or CVD)
In PVT, the silicon carbide is heated to around 2,000°C inside a sealed graphite crucible until it sublimates — skipping liquid form entirely and converting directly to gas. That vapor travels to a cooler region of the chamber and crystallizes onto a seed crystal. In CVD, silicon and carbon gases are deposited layer by layer onto a substrate in a vacuum chamber. Both methods take two to three months to grow a usable crystal.
Crystal Slicing
Once grown, the large silicon carbide boule is sliced into smaller pieces called preforms. Think of it like cutting a loaf of bread — each slice will eventually become an individual gemstone.
Cutting & Faceting
Each preform is attached to a guidance tool called a dop and brought to a high-speed faceting machine — a spinning disc embedded with industrial-grade diamond chips. The friction between the preform and the disc is what shapes the stone. Skilled cutters work to maximize the moissanite's fire and brilliance, which requires a different faceting approach than diamonds due to moissanite's higher refractive index.
Polishing & Quality Grading
The cut stone is polished to a mirror finish, then inspected for clarity, color, and cut quality. Lab-created moissanite is consistently produced at D–F color (colorless) and VVS1–VS1 clarity — grades that would cost a significant premium in a natural diamond.
The entire process — from raw silicon carbide to finished gemstone — takes up to three months. That's why lab-created moissanite is not cheap to produce. Its lower price versus diamonds reflects the absence of mining costs, not a shortcut in quality. Browse Hermin's moissanite jewelry collection →
What Makes Moissanite Genuinely Special
Once you understand how moissanite is made, its properties start to make sense. The same molecular structure that makes silicon carbide so difficult to grow in a lab also makes it one of the hardest, most optically complex materials on earth.
Hardness
Moissanite scores 9.25–9.5 on the Mohs hardness scale — second only to diamond, which sits at 10. For context, sapphires and rubies score 9. This means moissanite is genuinely scratch-resistant for everyday wear, not just "durable enough." It will outlast most other gemstones in a fine jewelry setting by a wide margin.
Fire & Brilliance
This is where moissanite pulls ahead of diamond in a measurable way. Refractive index determines how much a gemstone bends and disperses light — the higher the index, the more fire and rainbow flashes you see. Diamond's refractive index is 2.42. Moissanite's is 2.65–2.69. In direct light, moissanite throws more colorful flashes than any other gemstone. Some people love this — it's bold and unmistakable. Others prefer diamond's cooler, more subdued sparkle. Neither is wrong; it comes down to personal taste.
Moissanite vs. Diamond — Key Properties
| Property | Moissanite | Natural Diamond | Lab Diamond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohs Hardness | 9.25–9.5 | 10 | 10 |
| Refractive Index | 2.65–2.69 | 2.42 | 2.42 |
| Fire (Dispersion) | 0.104 — Highest | 0.044 | 0.044 |
| Origin | Lab-created | Earth-mined | Lab-created |
| Ethical Sourcing | ✓ Conflict-free | Varies | ✓ Conflict-free |
| Price (1 carat equiv.) | Most accessible | Most expensive | Mid-range |
| Environmental Impact | Low | High | Low–Mid |
Moissanite vs. Diamond — The Honest Comparison
The moissanite vs. diamond debate usually gets framed as "budget alternative vs. the real thing." That's a lazy take. They're genuinely different gemstones with different optical personalities — and moissanite wins on several objective measures.
Where Diamond Still Leads
Hardness. A diamond at 10 is marginally harder than moissanite's 9.5, which matters if your jewelry takes a beating. Diamonds also have a more complex light return — brilliance, dispersion, and scintillation working together in a way that experienced jewelers can distinguish from moissanite in direct comparison. And for those who place value on rarity, a natural diamond carries a geological story that no lab-grown stone can replicate.
Where Moissanite Genuinely Wins
Fire. Moissanite's dispersion rate of 0.104 is more than double diamond's 0.044 — this is a fact, not marketing copy. In certain lighting, particularly indoors or in candlelight, moissanite throws rainbow flashes that diamonds simply don't. It's also completely conflict-free by definition — there's no supply chain ambiguity, no certification required to verify ethical origins. And at a fraction of the price of an equivalent-sized natural diamond, moissanite lets you buy a significantly larger, higher-quality stone for the same budget.
Brilliance & Fire Comparison (Higher = More Sparkle)
Why Lab-Created Is Actually the Point
There's a version of the lab-grown gemstone conversation that frames it as a consolation prize — "you can't afford the real thing, so here's a lab version." That's the wrong way to think about it.
Lab-created moissanite is chemically and physically identical to natural moissanite. The only difference is origin. And unlike natural diamonds, where the ethical supply chain is notoriously difficult to trace, moissanite's origin is unambiguous — it was grown in a controlled facility, under documented conditions, with no mining involved.
Beyond ethics, lab creation means consistent quality. Natural gemstones vary wildly — that's part of their appeal, but it also means unpredictability. Lab-grown moissanite is produced to a standard: consistently colorless, consistently high clarity, consistently well-cut. When you buy a moissanite pendant necklace from Hermin, you know exactly what you're getting.
How to Care for Moissanite Jewelry
The good news: moissanite is one of the lowest-maintenance gemstones you can own. Its hardness means it resists scratching from everyday wear, and it doesn't cloud or fade over time the way softer stones can.
Cleaning is simple. Warm water, a drop of mild dish soap, and a soft brush. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Do this monthly and your moissanite will look the same in ten years as it does today. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners if your piece has intricate settings — the vibration can loosen prongs over time, though the stone itself is unaffected.
What to avoid. Chlorine and harsh household cleaners can affect the metal setting (especially gold vermeil), so remove your jewelry before cleaning or swimming. Perfume and lotion should be applied before putting on your jewelry, not after.
Storage. Keep each piece in a separate soft pouch. Moissanite scores 9.5 on the Mohs scale — meaning it can scratch other gemstones if stored loosely together.
Common Questions, Answered
Is moissanite a real gemstone?
Yes. Moissanite is a genuine mineral — silicon carbide — that occurs naturally and is recreated in laboratories. It is classified as a gemstone, not a simulant or imitation. It has its own identity, its own optical properties, and its own grading standards.
Can people tell the difference between moissanite and diamond?
Side by side, an experienced jeweler can distinguish them — moissanite has more colorful fire and a slightly different light return. In everyday wear, most people cannot tell the difference, and those who look closely are more likely to notice moissanite's superior sparkle than anything else.
Does moissanite hold its value?
Like most gemstones, moissanite has limited resale value compared to its purchase price. It doesn't appreciate like rare natural diamonds. But the value proposition isn't resale — it's getting a genuinely beautiful, durable, ethical gemstone at a price that makes sense for real life.
Is moissanite the same as cubic zirconia?
No — and this is a common misconception worth clearing up. Cubic zirconia is a soft, inexpensive simulant (Mohs 8–8.5) that clouds and scratches quickly. Moissanite is a distinct mineral with a hardness of 9.5, superior optical properties, and a completely different chemical composition. They are not comparable.
What's the best setting for moissanite?
Moissanite pairs beautifully with gold vermeil settings — the warm gold tone complements the stone's fire without competing with it. At Hermin, our moissanite necklaces and pendants are set in gold vermeil over sterling silver, giving you a piece that's both optically stunning and built to last.
See It for Yourself
Browse Hermin's moissanite necklaces and pendants — all set in gold vermeil over full-body sterling silver.
Shop Moissanite Jewelry →
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