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.

Moissanite studs catching the light
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
Moissanite hoop earring worn on the ear
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 or cubic zirconia, but a crystal of its own, 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?

A meteor streaking across a star-filled night sky over the desert
Moissanite arrived on Earth the dramatic way: aboard a meteorite.

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?

Meteor Crater in the Arizona desert at dusk
Meteor Crater, Arizona. Where Henri Moissan found the first crystals.
Tiny natural moissanite crystals glinting inside a meteorite fragment
Natural silicon carbide, glinting in meteorite rock.
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.

Raw lab-grown silicon carbide crystal with iridescent green and purple faces
Raw silicon carbide before cutting. The iridescence is real.
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

Choosing your stone

Moissanite vs cubic zirconia

We sell both, because they do different jobs. Moissanite is the stone for pieces you will wear every day for years. Cubic zirconia gives a bright, beautiful sparkle for less, which makes it perfect for trends, statement pieces and gifts.

Feature
Moissanite
Cubic zirconia
Hardness
9.25
About 8 – 8.5
Sparkle
Intense, rainbow fire
Bright and lively
Price
A little more
Wallet friendly
Best for
Everyday, forever pieces
Trends, statements and gifts
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.

Thermal testers

These measure how fast heat moves. Diamond and moissanite both dump heat quickly, so a thermal wand can shout diamond at both.

Electrical testers

Moissanite conducts electricity. Diamond generally does not. A loupe can also show moissanite's double refraction, a slight doubling of facet edges.

Round brilliant moissanite on black velvet throwing rainbow fire under a beam of light
The giveaway, if there is one: extra rainbow fire in strong light.
Halo moissanite stud worn on the ear

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.

A rough silicon carbide crystal held in a crucible inside a crystal-growth laboratory
Grown in a lab, not dug from the ground.

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.

Couple's hands at golden hour, a moissanite solitaire ring on her finger
1 carat of fire, none of the mining markup.
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. 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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