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Arune Zubiene

Diamond substitutes – Moissanite

Moissanite is considered to be an artificial stone which closely resembles diamonds, and a difficult diamond substitute to identify.

Moissanite was developed by a company called CREE, which also invented special equipment to distinguish between moissanite and diamonds. This equipment is called “Tester Model 590.” Today there are several more devices that differentiate between a moissanite and a diamond.

Moissanite is sold to wholesalers for $178 per carat, It is available in sizes ranging from 0.10 carats to 2.00 carats.

 

 Differences between Moissanite and diamonds:

 

  1. Hardness – Moissanite’s hardness is 9.25; diamond’s is 10. This is a very small difference and therefor is not effective.
  2. Specific Gravity – Moissanite’s specific gravity is 3.32; diamond’s is 3.52, therefor is also not effective.
  3. Brilliance – Moissanite is less brilliant than a diamond.
  4. Girdle Surface – In Moissanite, the girdle is frosted, polished or striated in appearance.
  5. Needles – Moissanite contains needle-like inclusions which are parallel to one another, sometimes in a very large amount. However, this inclusion doesn’t exist in all moissanites.
  6. Fluorescence – Moissanite is usually not fluorescent. When it is, it is usually an orange fluorescence.
  7. Roentgen Rays (X-rays) – Diamonds are transparent to roentgen rays; Moissanites are not.
  8. Double Refraction

When Moissanite is viewed through the pavilion (in the position used to check for polish lines), the lines that connect the star-facets to the table look doubled.