Consumers often compare moissanite to diamond, another near colorless stone with beauty and durability.
The only jewel harder than moissanite is diamond. Moissanite does not fade, cloud,
change color nor look different from the day you purchased it.
Moissanite is at 9.25 on the hardness scale. Diamond is 10.
Unlike diamonds, moissanite jewels are doubly refractive. This means that light is bent twice as it
passes through the moissanite jewel. This double refraction is directly responsible for
moissanite's superior brilliance. You can see this with a 10x loupe. Peer through the facets
from the sides of a moissanite stone. Do not look directly through the table of a moissanite
stone; the double refraction is less apparent as seen from this angle.
Comparison Chart: Beauty, Durability, Specific Gravity
| |
BEAUTY |
DURABILITY |
SPECIFIC
GRAVITY |
BRILLIANCE
Refractive Index |
FIRE
Dispersion |
LUSTER |
HARDNESS
Mohs |
TOUGHNESS |
| Moissanite |
2.65-2.69 |
0.104 |
20.4% |
9.25 |
excellent |
3.21 |
| Diamond |
2.42 |
0.044 |
17.2% |
10.00 |
excellent* |
3.52 |
| Sapphire |
1.77 |
0.018 |
7.4% |
9.00 |
excellent* |
4.00 |
| * except good in cleavage direction |
Moissanite's specific gravity is slightly lower than diamonds.
Since most jewelry is sold by carat weight, Charles & Colvard
provide a corresponding mm sizes and "diamond equivalent weight"
guide. Moissanite is 13% less dense than diamonds.