Faceoff: Diamonds vs. Moissanite, a side by side comparison

The moissanite craze has officially taken it's place in the engagement ring scene. In the past year or so we have seen an insane amount of customers lining up to get their hands on one of our custom engagement ring designs featuring a moissanite center as opposed to a traditional diamond center. Moissanites make a great diamond alternative because they are white gems, have lots of sparkle, and come in a variety of sizes and shapes. We like that the option of moissanite gives our clients more freedom to choose intricate custom setting designs and larger than average looking center gems without breaking the bank. Here we will break down some of the main differences between moissanite and diamonds so you can make a more educated decision

Price 

Pricing for moissanite is one of its most appealing qualities. Moissanite gems cost a fraction of what an actual diamond will cost if you compare the same size and quality. For example, a 1 carat moissanite can cost  $650 depending on quality whereas a 1 carat GIA certified diamond can cost around $5000 and up depending on quality. A 3 carat oval moissanite can cost $1500 whereas a 3 carat  oval diamond costs at the minimum $30,000 for something high quality. This is a huge savings and gives everyone more options and possibilities when it comes to selecting an engagement ring design that works for them

Durability

Moissanite are very high up on Mohs scale for hardness. Moissanites have a score of 9.25 and are almost as hard as a diamond which comes in at 10. This makes them extremely durable and suitable for every day wear. Conversely, other naturally occurring gems like emeralds and sapphires score much lower on the scale.

Watch the following video and read along with our post as we break down some more differences between diamond and moissanite https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=esyafz8IQzg

Sparkle & Fire

The first thing you will notice when viewing the video of moissanite vs. diamonds side by side is that the moissanite gives off more fire and spectral colors than a diamond. They are more brilliant and fiery than an actual diamond. If you take a look side by side, moissanite will emit more colorful flashes of light than an excellent cut diamond because it has a great dispersion. A little extra sparkle never hurt anybody!

Overall Appearance Broken Down By Shape

Round

Round moissanite in our opinion look most similar to a real diamond since the shape is easy to mimic and there are no variations. Rounds mimic the exact measurements of the diamond at each carat weight. This means that for the round moissanite you will not only refer to the weight of the moissanite as 2 carats, but also you can refer to it by the millimeter size. For example an 8mm round moissanite is the known equivalent of 2 carat round diamond. The main difference you can point out between the two is just that the round diamond has less sparkle than a moissanite. The moissanite side by side gives a brighter appearance.  Take a look at this stunning 3 stone round brilliant moissanite engagement ring. The main round center and two round side stones are moissanite while the small stones along the band are real diamonds.

*Note: Moissanite is not manufacturing gems small enough for pave. Our micropave rings feature small diamonds set within them. The main gem is what will be a moissanite

Oval

Oval moissanite side by side can be slightly more discernible from their diamond counterparts. The Oval moissanite tend to appear "shorter" than traditional oval cut diamonds. For example, a 2 carat oval diamond might measure 10mm in length x 7 mm width whereas a 2 carat oval moissanite measures 9mm x 7mm. Side by side, the oval gives off more sparkle and the faceting is more defined. Love our Oval diamond RS-227 three row rose gold micropave setting? Here is it's oval moissanite sister ring that is currently available for purchase. What do you think?

Cushion

Cushion moissanite make an amazing alternative to cushion cut diamonds. We love the look of cushion brilliant cut diamonds that have strong distinct faceting and bright sparkle that mimic round brilliant cuts. Cushion cut diamonds have other types of faceting such as crushed ice meaning that sparkle and brilliance given off by the facets is not well defined. We love that the cushion moissanite appears like a true cushion brilliant cut diamond. Keep in mind as of now the cushion moissanite only comes in square cushion shapes. Hopefully, soon there will be some more elongated cushion cut moissanite to choose from! Check out this custom rose gold moissanite engagement ring. Would you guess it is not a real diamond in the center?

Quality

Moissanites come in a variety of qualities to select from. Choosing moissanite quality is a lot simpler than choosing diamond quality and we will break it down for you here.

Clarity

Clarity refers to the imperfections (or lack thereof) within the gem. The clarity on moissanite is nearly flawless whereas most diamonds in the world will have some sort of imperfection in them unless graded as Flawless. Diamonds at flawless, internally flawless and Very Very slightly included (VVS) ranges are more rare and more expensive in most cases. The moissanite option makes it much easier for you to select a center gem without having to weed through options that don't have any visible imperfections to the naked eye (such as in the Slightly included and Included ranges) which can be an and time consuming arduous task.

Color

Once you reach the one-minute mark on the Youtube video linked above we compare the Colorless moissanite to the Near Colorless moissanite so you can view the differences. The color saturation of the moissanite varies most between the quality levels. Moissanites come in a variety of levels starting with Forever One Colorless- the moissanite in this range appear like Colorless diamonds in the D-E-F color range. Following that is Forever One Near Colorless which mimics the color payoff of diamonds in G-H-I color range. Forever Classic moissanite are lower on the scale and give off a yellowish hue. The most popular are the Colorless and Near Colorless. If you like the ice-white look of the Colorless option then that is an amazing choice. If you prefer a touch of warmth, the Near Colorless option will give you that. Most diamonds sold today are in the Near Colorless range so opting for the Near Colorless can sometimes look more realistic ;)

To read more in detail on the different moissanite quality levels available click here

Moissanite is available in a variety of shapes and sizes, some harder to get in certain size/quality combinations than others depending on availability. Here are some other moissanite shapes to consider:

Radiant cut diamond vs. moissanite comparison In this video we can see the radiant cut diamond's facets are a lot less defined whereas the radiant moissanite a truly eye catching brilliance.  Radiant cuts in general are known for providing a great sparkle for a fancy cut and this is no different when it comes to a moissanite

Pear cut diamond vs. moissanite comparison  The pear moissanite gives a slightly more rounded and softer look vs. the harsher tip and shape of the pear shape diamond shown.

Keep in mind that any ring you see on our site can be custom made with a moissanite center to fit your taste and price range. The options and endless and we know this is only the beginning of the moissanite craze! For more information on any of these rings or how to customize yor own email us at [email protected] and we can guide you through the steps of creation.