If you are looking for an alternative to a natural diamond for an engagement ring or other jewelry, two possibilities are diamonds that are created in the laboratory and moissanite, which is also created in the lab. While lab-created diamonds have the same hardness and sparkle as a naturally occurring diamond, moissanite sparkles even more although it is not quite as hard as a diamond. Although moissanite can be found in nature, the stones are tiny. Gem size and quality moissanite is made in the laboratory. Here is a bit of information to help you understand the differences of lab-created diamonds vs. moissanite.
Lab-created Diamonds
Because naturally occurring moissanite is tiny, moissanite gemstones are made in the lab. Unlike a lab diamond, moissanite is composed of both carbon and silica. These gemstones are very hard but not as hard as a lab or natural diamond. However, they have more sparkle! In gemology, we call this the dispersion of the gem and moissanite has a dispersion of 1.04 as opposed to a dispersion of 0.44 for a diamond. When you place lab-created diamonds vs. moissanite of the same size and cut side by side, you will see a brighter sparkle and more color from the moissanite.
Lab-created Diamonds vs. Moissanite Price
If you were to shop simply based on price, a lab-created diamond is typically about 45% less expensive for the same carat weight than a natural stone. A moissanite gemstone of the same carat weight will cost about 20% to 25% as the same carat weight lab-created diamond. These figures are useful if all you are concerned about is price. However, not all diamonds are the same in terms of color, clarity, and cut while moissanite gems are all fairly similar you will not find the same variety in terms of cut especially with moissanite versus a natural diamond.
Choosing Between a Lab-created Diamond and a Moissanite Gemstone
Aside from the fact that diamonds are very pretty, we use them for engagement rings and other jewelry because they are so hard. Although moissanite is also hard, it is not the same hardness and may be more subject to wear tear over the years than a natural or lab diamond. If you value the extra sparkle of moissanite this is a big plus. But, if you prefer the fire and sparkle of a diamond that is the route you need to follow. Lab diamonds can be produced in a wide range of colors from colorless to red, blue, or even purple. Moissanite comes in colorless, near-colorless, and a yellow-green shade.
The best way to make up your mind is to come to ID Jewelry and take a look at a few examples of lab-created diamonds vs. moissanite and talk to our gemologists.