Moissanite sells for about a tenth of what mined diamonds do but the two gems have strikingly similar appearance and durability. Moissanite was originally discovered in its natural form in the late 19th century by Nobel Prize-winning chemist Henri Moissan at an Arizona meteorite strike site called Canyon Diablo (Devil’s Canyon). Moissan originally mistaken the moissanite fragments for diamonds, but later fell under the new rock’s spell and devoted his life to recreating it.
For some, moissanite is less morally tainted given the controversies surrounding the diamond industry. So-called blood diamonds inspired the 2006 political war thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio, which highlighted the dark side of the world’s most successfully branded gem. In previous decades couples were told they must have a certain-sized diamond that consumed a certain percentage of their salary. Nowadays, however, picking a ring is more about making a meaningful purchase that aligns with your values and goals. The current generation cares less about societal pressure and more about having money left for travel and other experiences. Plus, moissanite is a true statement of envirormental consern. Moissanite is gorgeous, its story is one of responsibility and it fits perfectly with the values of this generation.
Since moissanite is a lab-grown gem, there’s no mining involved. Creating these gems is not harmful to the earth and there is no issues with conflict trade. Compared with mined gemstones, moissanite’s origins are both traceable and completely eco-friendly, so you can admire your beautiful new bling, and feel good knowing exactly where it comes from. Valeria’s Secret goes one step further to ensure that all our pieces of jewellery are also made from recycled precious metals (14K and 18K solid gold and platinum).
Moissanite is a unique gem with its own set of chemical and optical properties that is advertised as exhibiting more fire and brilliance than any other gemstone, however, this claim is a bit controversial. It is stated that on the Brilliance Refractive Index, moissanite is more brilliant than diamond and that moissanite's fire dispersion is over 4x greater than diamond. It is useful to know though that this difference in brilliance is not strikingly noticeable by the naked eye, it's rather a way of marketing the gem. The truth is that the brilliance itself looks slightly different. Brilliance of moissanite is more spread over the stone, diamond's fire, on the other hand, appears to be more intense and coming from within rather than on the surface. Because of this, one may perceive brilliance of moissanite as lacking the sophistication of classy diamonds. Others, however, may prefer moissanites' brilliance with more spots of fire. In fact, a clear well-cut colourless moissanite will indeed look better and sparklier than an included, poorly cut and not colourless diamond. It is important to mention though, that many people will probably not notice any difference at all in the appearance of diamond vs moissanite.
Another marketed property of moissanite is its hardness. On the Mohs hardness scale moissanite comes in second to diamond, measuring at 9.25, whereas diamond measures at 10. Moissanite's durability is therefore really good, slightly better than sapphire and ruby and meaning it will survive daily wear and tear. All the beauty of colourless gems is in their brilliance and transparency, and even diamonds get dull overtime due to their tendency to chip, as a result of daily wear. So, objectively speaking, one cannot assume moissanite or diamond will last forever without being recut or repolished at some point, however, that it is true that they are both the hardest and most durable gems.
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