Thermal testers
These measure how fast heat moves. Diamond and moissanite both dump heat quickly, so a thermal wand can shout diamond at both.
The diamond alternative
What is moissanite?
A lab-grown gem with more fire than diamond, almost the same hardness, and none of the mining. The jewellery luxury life-hack that used to be a best-kept secret. Not any more.
9.25
Mohs hardness, just under diamond
More fire
Higher brilliance than diamond
Lab-grown
Conflict-free silicon carbide
UK checked
Inspected in our studio
In plain English
What is moissanite?
Moissanite is a gemstone made of silicon carbide. In its natural form it is vanishingly rare. The stones in rings, studs, hoops and pendants are grown in a lab, then cut and polished like any other fine gem.
It is not glass, and it is not cubic zirconia. It is a real crystal with a hardness close to diamond and a refractive index that is actually higher. That is why it throws those little rainbows. Same job on the hand as diamond. Different chemistry, kinder origin, smaller price.
A stone from the stars
Where does moissanite come from?
Henri Moissan found the mineral in 1893, in a meteor crater. It looked so much like diamond that he thought he had found a new source of them. Two years before that, silicon carbide had already been made in a lab. Nature barely bothers with this crystal. People figured it out first.
Natural moissanite is still so scarce that jewellery-grade stones are lab-grown on purpose. That is how you get a consistent D-colour, VVS clarity stone without a mine. At Elle Adore those stones are set in sterling silver, inspected in our UK studio, and only sold if they pass the same test as everything else we stock: would we gift it to someone we love?
The science, quickly
What is moissanite made of?
Silicon carbide. Diamond is carbon arranged in a crystal. Moissanite is silicon and carbon. The structure is tough, the surface takes a high polish, and the way it bends light is why it looks so alive.
Chemical name
Silicon carbide (SiC)
Hardness
9.25 Mohs, diamond is 10
Refractive index
About 2.65 vs diamond 2.42
Fire
0.104, more than double diamond
Higher refractive index means more brilliance. Higher dispersion means more coloured fire. Moissanite does not try to be a quieter diamond. It sparkles a little harder, which is why people notice it across a table.
The Difference
Diamond Vs. Moissanite
Feature
Moissanite
Diamond
Cost
Affordable
Expensive
Hardness
9/10
10/10
Look
Intense Brilliance
Beautiful Shine
Longevity
Lasts forever
Lasts forever
Moissanite
Brighter than Diamonds
Life Proof
Waterproof & Tarnish Free
Gentle
Hypoallergenic Materials
Gift Ready
Luxury Packaging
The high street trap
Moissanite vs cubic zirconia
This is the comparison that actually matters on the high street. Cubic zirconia is cheaper, softer, and it clouds. Moissanite sits in a different league.
Feature
Moissanite
Cubic zirconia
Hardness
9.25
About 8
Clouding
Stays clear
Hazes with wear
Sparkle
Diamond-like fire
Glassy, flatter
Everyday wear
Built for it
Short-term stand-in
The other fork
Moissanite vs lab grown diamond
Lab-grown diamonds are chemically diamond. Same carbon lattice, same hardness of 10, grown above ground. They are a good ethical choice. They still cost more, because they are still diamond.
Feature
Moissanite
Lab diamond
Chemistry
Silicon carbide
Carbon (diamond)
Hardness
9.25
10
Fire
More rainbow
More white light
Cost
A fraction
Still diamond prices
Ethics
Lab-grown
Lab-grown
Does moissanite pass a diamond tester?
Often, yes, which confuses people. We would rather you knew. Elle Adore pieces come as moissanite, with certificates where the stone calls for them.
Electrical testers
Moissanite conducts electricity. Diamond generally does not. A loupe can also show moissanite's double refraction, a slight doubling of facet edges.
Can you wear moissanite every day?
9.25 on the Mohs scale is serious. Only diamond, and a couple of very rare things you will not meet in a jewellery box, sit above it. That is why it works in engagement rings, tennis bracelets, and hoops you do not take off to wash your hands.
It is still jewellery. Do not use a ring as a bottle opener. Take tennis bracelets off for chlorinated pools if you want the clasp to stay pretty. For a normal UK week, it is more than hard enough.
Is moissanite ethical?
Getting diamonds out of the earth is labour-intensive. In too many places the labour laws are weak, habitats get stripped, and because the stones are so valuable they have funded conflicts. Even a conflict-free mined diamond still means a hole in the ground.
Lab-grown moissanite skips that chain. No mine. No displaced wildlife. You still get a stone that looks and feels like the expensive thing in the window.
Is moissanite good for an engagement ring?
Yes. Hard enough for daily wear. Bright enough that it does not look like a stand-in in photos. Ethical enough that you can tell the story without shrinking. Plenty of people pick it so the budget goes into a larger stone or a better-made band, not a mined-diamond premium.
If the person you are asking cares about the word diamond more than the light in the stone, have that conversation first. If they care about the look, the ethics, and not starting married life in a hole, moissanite is an easy yes.
From our UK studio
Shop moissanite jewellery
Pieces we actually stock. Lab-grown stones, sterling silver, checked before they leave.
Quick answers
Moissanite FAQs
No. It is a real gemstone, not a diamond. Diamond is carbon. Moissanite is silicon carbide. They look very similar on the hand. A jeweller with the right tools can tell them apart.
Yes, to almost everyone in real life. The giveaway, if there is one, is extra rainbow fire in strong light. Most people cannot tell unless the stones are compared side by side under a loupe.
No. Moissanite does not cloud from the inside the way cubic zirconia can. Lotion and soap film can make any gem look dull. A soft cloth, or warm water and mild soap, brings the sparkle back.
On our site, we say moissanite in the title. In the wild: more rainbow fire, possible doubling of facets under magnification, and an electrical tester that disagrees with a thermal wand.
Soft cloth for everyday. Warm water and mild soap when it looks tired. Keep harsh chemicals and chlorine away from plated settings and clasps.
Where the stone calls for it, yes. Portuguese-cut studs, for example, come with moissanite certificates. Always check the product page.
Our moissanite jewellery is set in 925 sterling silver, which is the hypoallergenic metal we use for everyday pieces.
Because it looks expensive, sits in real life, and does not need a mine or a luxury markup. If we would not gift it, we will not sell it.
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