Gemstones and jewelry have been a source of fascination since pre-history, variously intertwined with deities, royalty, magic, pirate booty, and rappers’ teeth. They’ve also generated a mountain of scientific analysis which seeks to define and quantify why and how they are so desirable. In the last century or so a highly complex system of quantitative comparison has been devised – Refractive Index, Mohs Scale, Luster, Fire Dispersion and the like, all geared towards establishing quality and value. This is especially useful when comparing near-colorless gems such as moissanite and diamond.
The chart below compares and contrasts moissanite with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds that have dappled the pages of history and literature. In hardness, purity, fire and brilliance, moissanite more than holds its own – it dominates. And when one factors in the cost to acquire these gems and the jewelry that’s made from them, there’s simply no comparison.
Moissanite compared to other gemstones on key characteristics
