Moissanite - Rising Star in London
Updated: Aug 28
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 to get engaged. Nowadays, however, picking a ring is more about making a meaningful purchase that aligns with your personal values and goals. Modern generations tend to care less about societal pressure and more about having money left for travel and other experiences. Plus, moissanite can be a true statement of environmental concern. moissanite is gorgeous, its story is one of responsibility and therefore, it fits perfectly with the values of modern generations.
Since moissanite is a lab-grown gem, there’s no controversial mining involved. Creating these gems is harmless 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 fine jewellery pieces are also made from recycled precious metals (14K and 18K solid gold or 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 convenient way of marketing the gem. Truth be told, the brilliance itself looks slightly different. Brilliance of moissanite is more spread over the stone, whereas diamond's fire appears to be more intense and coming from within the stone rather than from its surface. Because of this difference, some may perceive brilliance of moissanite as lacking the sophistication of classy diamonds. Others, however, may prefer moissanites' brilliance with more spots of fire all over the gem. In fact, a clear well-cut colourless moissanite will indeed look better and sparklier than any included, poorly cut or not colourless diamond. Importantly, most 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. This means it will survive daily wear and tear well. Because all the beauty of colourless gems is in their brilliance and transparency, durability of clear gems is very important for their overall appearance long-term. Even diamonds get dull overtime due to their tendency to chip, as they age and as a result of daily wear. So, objectively speaking, one cannot assume that moissanite or diamond will last forever without being recut or re-polished at some point. However, that it is certainly true that they are both the hardest and most durable gems.
Valeria's Secret - fundamentally different 💕 with love xxx
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