The Uses of Moissanite

Moissanite is the commerical name for silicon carbide. Silicon carbide does not occur naturally on earth, but sometimes can occur in meteors or other types of phenomenon.

For the most part Moissanite is created by mixing silica sand and carbon at extremely high temperatures, the result are crystal that are extremely strong and heat resistant. It is used for numerous industrial applications such as heat sinks, computer chips, abrasives and blue LED lights.

Moissanite is created with a special technique, but still includes carbon and silica sand. Moissanite closely resembles a diamond on many levels including its beautiful clarity, its hardness and refraction.

Moissanite comes in large crystal structures that look identical to diamonds. However, Moissanite is extremely clear and has no inclusions. One of the positive attributes about Moissanite is that it is extremely hard, usually over 9 on the Moh’s scale of hardness, where a diamond is 10. The other positive trait is Moissanite’s refractive quality. Refractivity is the term used to describe reflection of light or fire. Moissanite has a higher level than diamonds.

Besides commercial jewelry, Moissanite in its industrial form which is SiC can be made into an abrasive, for instance it is usually found in super fine sand paper products. It can also hold up well to high temperatures and is used for many industrial applications, one of them being high performance brake pads.

While natural SiC is not very good at conducting electricity, when a few other elements are added, it makes a great conductor that can stand up to extreme temperatures.

Moissanite - The History and Origins

Moissanite does not form naturally with in the earth, it is a synthetic gemstone. Moissanite was first sold commercially in 1998 by Charles and Colvard. Moissanite should be noted, is a mixture of two chemicals, Silicon and Carbide. When mixed together, these chemicals form a very strong and beautiful gemstone. Moissanite is sold as a diamond substitute in many retail jewelry markets. The fact that Moissanite comes very close to that of a real diamond makes it more valuable and precious than other types of simulants, specifically zirconia.

Moissanite actually comes from the name of the astronomer that found Moissanite on a meteor in 1905, his name was by Henri Moissan. While Moissanite does not occur naturally on earth, it can occur in space, many astronomers believe that entire stars can be made from this substance.

Moissanite is an extremely hard gemstone and is usually 9 or higher on the Moh’s hardness scale, where diamonds are a 10. One of the many qualities of Moissanite is that it can handle heat very well and because of this attribute is used as heat sinks, part of processors, as a component in high performance brake pads and a myriad of industrial uses. Moissanite can also be used in its grain form as an abrasive and it is usually found quite frequently on finer sand paper products.

Regarding jewelry gemstones, Moissanite can be created to look identical to diamonds; in fact the refraction usually referred to as the sparkle or fire is sometimes even better than diamonds. Usually Moissanite crystals have no flaws or inclusions and their color is extremely clear. One should note that there can sometimes be a very slight tint of green in the color of Moissanite, especially as the size of the crystal increases.