Moissanite Buyer's Guide

Moissanite Education

Moissanite is a near-colorless, durable jewel with incredible brilliance and fire. Moissanite is a popular alternative to more expensive gemstones, such as diamond. Moissanite IS NOT a created diamond, cubic zirconia nor a diamond simulant.
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History of Moissanite

Moissanite got its name from Dr. Henri Moissan, a Nobel Laureate. In 1893, Dr. Moissan detected diamond-like deposits in a 50,000 year-old meteor from Diablo Canyon, Arizona. The mineral he found is silicon carbide. In 1905 this compound was named Moissanite in his honor. Moissanite is extremely rare in nature.

Diablo Canyon, Arizona meteor crater

In the 1980s, a company named Cree Research developed a process to grow large silicon carbide crystals. In the summer of 1995, a master diamond cutter observed samples of Moissanite and suggested that properly cut crystals would make a brilliant new jewel. Scientists from Cree Research and Charles & Colvard began a three-year mission to bring the fire and brilliance of Moissanite jewels to the general public.

Moissanite jewelry was introduced to the marketplace in the summer of 1998. Today, moissanite is created exclusively by Charles & Colvard.