If diamonds are known to almost everyone, moissanites and synthetic moissanites have not yet gained such popularity.
What kind of stone is a moissanite? You may also have heard of carborundum and not even guessed what it is. Let’s get to the bottom of it.
Moissanite is one of the rarest minerals and its chemical composition is silicon carbide.
Carborundum is a synthetic material that has the composition and properties of the natural mineral moissanite. It is an inorganic compound of silicon and carbon.
A diamond (both natural and laboratory) is pure carbon. Laboratory diamond is grown, so it is less valuable.
About Moissanite and Carborundum
Moissanite (carborundum) is neither chemically nor physically a diamond. Moissanite only imitates a cut diamond, i.e. a diamond in appearance. However, it does it rather successfully due to its nice light play and shine. It would be a mistake to call moissanite and other imitations of diamonds synthetic brilliants; they are exactly imitations.
Both the natural moissanite stone and the synthetic carborundum product visually have similar properties and are used to make jewelry. The price, however, varies within a wide range: a carborundum is more affordable than a diamond, whereas a natural moissanite mineral may turn out to be many times more expensive than a diamond of the same size.
What is the reason for the high price of the natural mineral moissanite? Because it is found in very small quantities.
It is found in corundum deposits (India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Canada, the Urals, and Karelia) and in kimberlites (India, South and Central Africa, and Yakutia). But, again, the amount of the mineral in these deposits is negligible. Quite often, the moissanite is discovered as a chance find.
If on the Earth the moissanite is a rarity, in the space the moissanite is quite abundant. Adherents of the theory that we are not alone in the universe believe that in distant civilizations, moissanite may play the same role as diamonds do for us (on Earth).
In meteorites, the amount of moissanite may be significant. Bodies of cosmic origin found on the surface of the earth are the very objects in which moissanite was first identified. If it were not for the meticulous work of scientists studying the qualitative composition of cosmic bodies, perhaps we would not know about moissanite today.
The history of the discovery of the valuable mineral moissanite is as follows. In 1893 Henri Moissan, exploring the Canyon Diablo meteorite in Arizona, discovered a mineral that did not match any known at the time. The mineral was named after the scientist, but was never used for a long time. Later jewelers began to use it, and the moissanite became especially popular in the United States and certain Western European countries.
At the end of the XX century, the first crystal of carborundum was made; before that it was known only in the form of powder. As soon as it became possible to synthesize the crystal, it was synthesized.
The properties of carborundum grown in the laboratories are comparable to those of natural moissanite. It does not have any visual distinctions, or any specific characteristics revealed by special tests or equipment. Carborundum is a budget variation of moissanite, perfectly coping with its main function (aesthetic).
The qualities of carborundum turned out to be astonishing. In many ways, carborundum surpassed diamond: the light refraction was one-quarter higher; the dispersion was two and a half times. That is, it shines better and gives more iridescent reflections. It would seem to be a stroke of luck. It was indeed recognized as the best imitation of a diamond.
But it never became mass-produced.
It is quite senseless to make jewelry with carborundum in terms of commerce.
Theoretically, this stone should be beautiful, shining and sparkling, with an iridescent play of light on its facets.
But connoisseurs do not really appreciate this stone. There are several reasons for this:
- The bright colors of light are unusual for the eye, they are more likely to irritate it, and give the impression of being tasteless and flamboyant.
- There are no transparent, clear-colored stones. All of them have a dusty greenish hue. The chemists cannot do anything about it.
- The rays of light that a diamond casts are dense, bright, and saturated. Carborundum gives more transparent and dark reflections.
The production of jewelry out of this stone is too complicated and resource-consuming. A large-size sample will cost about $500 per carat. It is doubtful that there will be any buyers who would like to buy synthetic stones for such a price. Even if they are high-tech and super-glittery. Right now, only two American companies make crystals of silicon carbide, and it is even rarer than a diamond.
As we can see, artificial moissanite has failed to surpass diamond and displace it from jewelry counters.
The enterprising Italians sell opaque, inexpensive pieces of artifacts like pieces of lava from Vesuvius.
However, carborundum has a number of advantages:
- You can’t leave grease prints on it. If you touch the diamond for a long time, it will become covered by a film of grease and will lose its luster. Carborundum is immune to this.
- Because carborundum is artificially grown, it is devoid of defects. It is cut into perfect, mathematically precise crystals. One does not have to skimp on the material. This is not always true for diamonds. Sometimes one wants to save the weight of the stone and intentionally breaks the proportions; sometimes one bypasses the defects. This is not considered a defect. Though these diamonds are priced lower, they still make it to the market.
- Diamond burns at extreme temperatures (about 1,000 degrees Celsius), while carborundum does not. You can throw it in a coal furnace and it won’t get hurt.
- In addition, carborundum is only slightly inferior to diamond in hardness. Also, it is inert, as it does not react with other substances (except hydrofluoric, nitric and orthophosphoric acids), is characterized by high thermal conductivity, electric current density and electric voltage, has a small coefficient of thermal expansion and does not have phase transitions that destroy the crystal.
How to tell the difference
Interestingly, not all popular methods were able to determine where the diamond was and where the carborundum was. For instance, by measuring the thermal conductivity of the mineral, one could easily tell a diamond from its strontium titanate counterpart, fianite, or synthetic sapphire. But everything is much more complicated with moissanite: The thermal conductivity tests were inconclusive, identifying it as a diamond. This is why there was a need for alternative methods to determine the authenticity of stones.
As for the difference between natural and grown diamonds, it lies in the method of production: whether a stone was dug out of the ground or grown in a laboratory. From the point of view of a consumer, they are indistinguishable from each other, though, if there is a complete laboratory at hand, one could find a laboratory diamond that is “too” quality.
In terms of gemological expertise, distinguishing between moissanite (carborundum) and diamond is not that difficult, but with condition, that you have instruments and understand where and what to look at. An inexperienced jeweler may not be able to tell them apart.
To distinguish between natural and lab-grown diamonds, you also need the skills of a relatively advanced gemologist and, of course, the equipment.
The choice is left to the ladies. What to choose, a natural diamond or a cultured diamond? Or carborundum? What is more important to you – a tribute to tradition, prestige, spectacular appearance, or price?
Nothing works better than your intuition. Go to a jewelry store and look at the pieces that interest you. Hold it in your hands, try it on, look closely. The stone that makes your heartbeat faster is definitely yours.
In conclusion, while both lab grown diamonds and moissanite are beautiful and durable diamond alternatives, there are several factors to consider when deciding which one is right for you. Consider their composition, durability, environmental impact, and cost when making your decision. Ultimately, the choice between lab grown diamonds and moissanite will depend on your personal preferences and priorities.
