It’s said, perhaps thanks to the movie, that Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend. Well, when I was after some jewellery for my better half the prices were certainly not my best buddy.
And who wants to get the smallest diamond in the store because the pay check won’t stretch that far? Well, not me.
That was when I discovered a word I had never heard before but am glad I did.
Moissanite. And more specifically moissanite earrings.
Firstly, what is moissanite? Well, its naturally occurring silicon carbide (SiC) discovered by a French chemist who it was named after in 1893. So it’s been around a while since it was first found in a meteor crater in Arizona.
It’s hard and boy does it sparkle. If anything its brilliance is BETTER than diamonds according to something called its refractive index.
Moissanite is significantly more affordable than diamonds so you’ll be able to get a far larger stone for a fraction of the price whether it’s earrings or an engagement ring you’re after. You’ll not be getting a natural stone – they are very scarce – it’s lab-made.
But with all the problems associated with diamond mining, isn’t that more ethical these days than thinking you’re wearing something a little boy in Africa had to grovel about for underground? Ugh!
Moissanite ranks 9.25 on the Mohs scale for hardness – or as I told the girlfriend when she wowed over the gift on her 30th birthday “harder than me!”
Unlike the girlfriend though, it is low maintenance. I’m joking, people – don’t shoot the messenger! It’s not going to scratch or tarnish like some gemstones and is easy to keep clean and maintain.
Moissanite can be cut into a wide variety of shapes and designs making it highly flexible in design so if you are after a personalised piece look no further. Another benefit of this characteristic is that you can choose designs meant for diamonds and have moissanite put in instead seamlessly.
It’s virtually colourless – in fact, you’d need to see it under a magnifying glass to detect any hue at all. This is another reason why it is a great alternative to diamonds and truly one of the best hidden gems.
Though the diamond and gemstone industry is very well regulated in Australia there is far less chance of getting a rum deal when it comes to moissanite as opposed to diamonds. Buyers can get more value for their bucks safe in the knowledge you are getting what you paid for.
Moissanite is a product of modern tech and reflects the latest in gemstone development with its production controlled and regulated.
In conclusion, it’s far cheaper, adaptable and sparkles more than diamonds so if like me you’d never heard of moissanite check it out – especially if you’re looking to be in the good lady’s best books!
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