Moissanite - The Colors, Shapes and Sizes

Moissanite is one of the many synthetic gemstones produced. However, Moissanite is just any ordinary gemstone, its unique qualities, attractive looks and industrial applications, make it one of the more promising synthetic minerals every created.

Moissanite is a little over 100 years old and includes two elements, silica sand and carbon. When these two elements are combined at very high temperatures, they create crystals which are very strong and very beautiful.

Moissanite usually comes in either one of two colors. When Moissanite crystals are very small, let’s say less than a carat, they are always clear. However, as the crystal increases in size, it has a green tinge to it.

Moissanite has been on the market commercially since 1998 with the trade marked name Moissanite. Moissanite is named after its founder Dr. Henri Moisan. He discovered this new element in 1905 on a meteor that fell to earth.

Moissanite looks very similar to diamonds and is created to be a diamond substitute. Unlike zirconia, you can’t easily tell the difference between Moissanite and diamonds. In fact, when they first came onto the market, they sometimes confused professionals. However, there are sure fire ways to figure out which is which.

Moissanite is extremely hard and has a hardness rating of 9, where a diamond has 10. Besides hardness, Moissanite is extremely clear and has no inclusions. This makes for a perfect looking stone, even at larger sizes. It should be noted that the refraction or fire of the Moissanite is even higher than that of a diamond.

How is Moissanite Made?

Moissanite is not a naturally occurring mineral on the planet earth; however it is a synthetic mineral that is used in a wide variety of applications from commercial jewelry to industrial applications.

For the most part Moissanite is made from Silica sand and Carbon, it is trademarked as Carborundum. The easies way to create Carborundum is through mixing silica sand and carbon and then heating them at extremely high temperatures usually between 1600 Celsius and 2500 Celsius. In order to create heat this hot, usually an Acheson furnace is employed. The Acheson furnace uses a graphite resistor as its heat source and material closest to the heat source are sometimes different colors and more pure, items farthest away from the graphite heat source are usually doped with aluminum or iron and less pure.

It should be noted that gemstone quality Moissanite is created by an industrial method that differs from normal Carborundum. The name Moissanite comes from Dr. Henri Moissan. He was the first person to discover the presence of Moissanite, he found it on a meteor that landed on earth.

The gemstone Moissanite is extremely attractive and is very similar to clear diamonds. In fact, the two gemstones are so similar, Moissanite is known as a substitute rather than just an simulation. Moissanite is a very hard substance and almost as hard as a diamond. It scores a 9 on the Moh’s hardness scale, where a diamond scores a 10.

Moissanite also has lots of great attributes, most notably being able to be formed as a truly clear stone without any inclusions. Moissanite also has a great shine and lots of fire, more so than a diamond itself.