Moissanite vs. Diamond?

My e-ring is moissanite! It was the only choice for me for several reasons:
1. I cannot stomach wearing a diamond because of ethical & environmental issues of diamond mining industry. I will not wear somebody’s blood on my hands.
2. I love big stones (my e-ring is 4 ct equivalent). And while lab grown diamonds are ethical, this industry is a scam because they add a huge markup for no reason, as lab grown diamonds can be produced relatively inexpensively. They are also labeling lab grown diamonds internally, so that their resale value is lower (even though nobody can tell the difference between lab grown & mined diamond, because there is none). I have no intention of buying into this scam lol by paying over $50,000 for a good quality lab diamond in the size I want.
3. I adore the look of moissanite, it has much higher refractive index than diamond so it sparkles more & high quality moissanite (like mine) has ideal cut & is colorless, so it brings out the beauty of the stone even more. I also love the story of how moissanite was discovered, by a scientist who was studying a meteor. I’m a scientist, so this story is meaningful to me.

My FH designed my ring by himself, without me knowing. He actually had to rework the ring design & swap original diamond he chose, for a moissanite, after my best friend told him I only want a moissanite ring for all the reasons above 😃 It ended up being absolutely perfect!

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Yeah, I had no idea about the darkness of the diamond industry until I started looking into moissanite. It's awful. I got my ring from Zales (merely because it's the closest jewelry store to us) and I am not sure if they use mined or lab diamonds. I called a family owned jewelry store and she said they could change my diamond out for the moissanite but would need to see it in person to confirm, so I'm hopeful! Do you mind sharing how much your stone cost?

I have a moissanite as well, because of the same reasons as Iva. While I do love how beautiful a clear stone like a diamond looks, I will never support the diamond industry, even with lab created diamonds and "conflict free" diamonds. I also love how much a moissanite sparkles, and definitely love how much easier it is on the wallet than a diamond. Here's my ring in different lighting.

My center stone is moissanite and it’s gorgeous. I told my fiancé I didn’t want a diamond center stone because they’re a waste of money (hence why no one can sell a diamond for the appraised amount). The other stones are diamonds but that’s just how the ring came.

View Quoted Comment I love moissanite!! Can you show a picture of the ring with the setting? I love seeing other people's rings.

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Just gorgeous!

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Beautiful!!!

View Quoted Comment Wow, i never knew this about moissanite but did about the mining industry. Thank you for the info i must look into this stone!

View Quoted Comment Yeah, once you start reading about horrible things that go in diamond mining, you cannot ignore it. Also, the whole scam of the industry, led by De Beers, how they set prices & low resale value etc.
As far as I know, Zales sells mined diamonds. Some of them might be marked “conflict free” but that label means little (you can read about it). Lab grown are made by very few companies.
My center stone is Charles & Colvard moissanite, radiant cut, colorless Forever One, 4ct equivalent. You can check the price on their website (they have sales sometimes). The other reputable seller I know of is FireAndBrilliance. They also make custom moissanite rings, so you can check with them as well.

View Quoted Comment You’re welcome 😊 I love telling people about moissanite, especially after they tell me they love my e-ring. Spreading the word lol.
If you want to look into it, Charles & Colvard, and Fire & Brilliance are two reputable manufacturers, you can check their websites.

Love my ring!! It’s sooo sparkly 😍 i have a 1.1 ct equivalent forever one moissanite. Can’t

I don’t like spending money on items of lesser quality. I wanted a timeless, heirloom piece that I could pass along to my daughter one day and it would have value to it. I don’t believe a “moissanite” stone is a high quality investment that will be valued for my descendants. So I bought an antique ring - from 1940, it has lasted nearly 80 years with the same classic beauty and appreciated in value since then. I don’t think you can say that with “moissanite”.

Why I chose to go old school with mined diamonds.

Thank you! I was literally just on the Charles & Colvard site!

I actually got a white sapphire and I’m extremely happy about it. I tried on a diamond the same size as my stone and I couldn’t stomach spending that much money on a ring.

I have a diamond and I love it, but I would have been just as happy with a moissanite. I have moissanite earrings and I can't tell the difference myself. My fh designed my ring completely and was able to get, what I think is a good deal on it. He also really wanted diamond, even though I was okay with moissanite or morganite. If you're looking for most bang for your buck, and want something larger, moissanite is the way to go, in my opinion.

Honest question not meaning to offend:

If you are morally against diamonds why get a stone (mossainte morganite or white sapphire) that looks like a diamond and that people think is a diamond? Seems counter intuitive.

I *kinda* get wanting a big ring and not being able to afford it and therefore getting a different stone so people think you have a super huge diamond but I dont get being against a diamond but then getting a stone that people think is a diamond.

View Quoted Comment Honest answer:
I absolutely love sparkly look of diamond, moissanite & similar gems. But I simply cannot wear diamonds due to ethical & environmental issues. Manufacturing ethical issues are a big no-no for me personally (I also buy fair trade coffee, for example etc.).
Hence, I get moissanite because it provides the amazing sparkle I love (parkour than diamond), it’s long lasting, one of the hardest gems (scratch resistant etc) & carries zero ethical issues. I don’t get moissanite so that people think I have a diamond 😄 I get it for its look. As I mentioned above, I actually love telling people that my ring is moissanite, because I love it, I’m proud of it, I enjoy challenging status quo & I want people to know that there are options, so they don’t have to fall for the diamond industry scam 😉

*(sparklier than diamond) - correction from above

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Moissanite is not lower or higher quality than diamond, it’s a completely different stone, with different chemical composition & origin. It’s also extremely hard, durable & scratch resistant.

Unfortunately, diamonds are not high quality investment, as the minute you leave a store diamond value decreases by approx. 50%, because that’s how diamond industry sets the prices. If you doubt this, try selling a diamond you purchased recently & see how much you will get for it vs. how much you paid.

If a ring was purchased for $100 80 years ago (just example numbers), its price today would be $1,800 just to account for 80 years of inflation (this is not increase in value, anything less would actually be decrease in value).

Ring we choose is our own personal preference & we all have a right to get what makes us happy 😊 I’m glad you are happy with your choice! I just wanted to let you know about few facts & common misconceptions. If you would like to know more, watch this great clip: https://youtu.be/HRFao1DeGjE

We went with a blue sapphire. It's about 1.4 carats. It would be a 1.25 carat diamond in terms of size (7mm). I kinda agree with the previous comment of if so morally against it, then why go with a look a like?

Also, run from anyone that says jewelry is an investment. Any stone or setting you pick will not be able to be sold for a good return. Tiffany literally has a 5 times mark up on their stuff. Jewelry is an emotional purchase. Plus, the ftc just ruled the there isn't a difference between a mined diamond or a lab diamond. So, the market will probably collapse the farther the tech advances for all gems... Jewelry is passed down because there is no way to sell it.

As for morganite, I don't really like it long term wise for durability. I believe it is an 8 on the mohs scale and in the Beryl family of gems. It's in the same family of emeralds and would have the same durability problems. Most Jewelers I have met that know beans don't recommend a ring for daily use unless it's a 9 mohs scale or higher. Anything lower would require a lot of maintenance and special care. Emeralds and morganites are valuable, but they are bad for daily wear.

Sapphires come in literally every color but red. Red corundum is a Ruby. Pink and blue are the most popular. They don't have the same sparkle as a diamond or mossinanite. You still have to spend a pretty penny to get a good mossinanite or sapphire though. They just don't cost as much as diamonds.