Is Moissanite the Best Diamond Alternative?

Is Moissanite the best diamond alternative or is Moissanite even better than a diamond?! We think it’s better no matter which way you look at it. When shopping for a diamond, let’s be honest – you are mostly looking at whether it first fits in your budget and then size and quality factor in after that. For many there is going to have to be some give – either go in to debt or sacrifice the size or quality or both. Moissanite however, is top notch in all of these areas – quality, budget friendly and it’s extremely strong (diamond measures a 10 on the Moh’s scale with Moissanite coming in just under at 9.25). A Moissanite competes head to head for strength with a diamond, therefore, can withstand the test of time and be passed down from generation to generation.

We have heard from many of our clients that their Moissanite engagement rings are by far the prettiest in their group of friends, co-workers etc. Unfortunately, it seems most don’t share that it’s a Moissanite. It’s a true testament to Moissanite, that no one suspects it isn’t a diamond so doesn’t ask.

My husband and I were chatting the other day that it would be interesting to have a Moissanite section or kiosk in a conventional jewelry store. For some, they would still need a diamond for superficial reasons but the majority would see that Moissanite is prettier than the average diamond (don’t believe the rubbish you read on diamond websites that it’s green or whatever other crazy things they say – diamonds and Moissanite are graded side by side on the same color scale so Colorless means exactly that – no color – no green). The average diamond in a jewelry store is a J color while Moissanite comes in DEF Colorless or GHI Near Colorless. Both the Colorless and Near Colorless Moissanite are a fraction of the cost of their equal diamond counterpart and I do mean a fraction. If purchasing an equal 1 ct flawless colorless diamond you would be spending approximately $20,000 USD compared to $500 USD. There is the added bonus that a Moissanite has 10% more sparkle than a diamond – nothing flashy, it just makes it look like it is the better quality stone when next to a diamond.

Back to our jewelry store scenario. For sure, most people would not see the value in a diamond when side by side with a quality Moissanite (we prefer the NEO and Charles and Colvard brands – high quality control and superior manufacturing). The reason you don’t see this section (a large Moissanite section in the local jewelry store) is the jeweler makes much more profit with a diamond sale than with Moissanite.  In fact, we have found many jewelers who have one token Moissanite ring in their store (to bring anyone in who might be calling around to locate a Moissanite engagement ring) and it seems they actually use it to dissuade people from buying a Moissanite (there are also many websites out there that advertise Moissanite, they know it’s popular so they use it as click bait but when you get to their website, it is void of Moissanite or they talk it down). In a physical jewelry store our experience is they either put the price of the Moissanite up to almost equal the diamond price or they try to shame you out of purchasing it or they have an older version that is not up to today’s quality. I wrote a prior blog post on our first experience with Moissanite shopping which has happened a few more times or the jeweler just acts disinterested in us. It’s amazing how unscrupulous some people are. It’s your money, don’t let anyone tell you how to spend it or make you feel inferior! In fact, you should feel quite superior for being financially and ethically responsible!

A customer called the other day to purchase his fiancé’s wedding band after purchasing her engagement ring with us last year. I shared the chat my husband and I had after he mentioned that his fiancé’s girlfriends all covet her Moissanite ring. He totally agreed and said we should rent a corner in jewelry store but when I told him we would take the business away from the diamond jeweler’s, he totally got it and agreed. Our hypothetical conversation was fun and it made both of us feel good about our Moissanite choice. So to say Moissanite is the best diamond alternative is actually quite an understatement. Moissanite is better than a diamond!

Let’s talk about Synthetic Gems.

When I hear the word “synthetic”, I cringe a little. No matter the medium, it sounds cheap, not the best, sub par. However! What synthetic actually means is “synthesized”. I don’t know where the bad rap came from but when it comes to synthesized diamonds or gems, it couldn’t be more opposite. Synthetic gems are better in every way! In no particular order, they are better for the planet – they are ecologically friendly, humane, less expensive and a better product all around. When I say a better product all around, I am strictly speaking about Moissanite, lab created diamonds and lab created gemstones such as sapphires, rubies, emeralds etc – not crystals or cubic zirconia.

With lab created gemstones and Moissanite, you get a superior product – optically and quality wise every time, at a far lower price. Being as these gems are grown in a lab controlled environment, the conditions are optimal for each and every gem, every time. The fact that they can produce more means they do not have to use subpar gems. It may interest you to know that the average diamond color grade in an engagement ring in North America is a J color. A J color means that the diamond has a very warm – yellow color to it. A coveted diamond color would be a colorless color grade of DEF or a near colorless grade, which would be GHI. So you can see the J falls below ideal but yet, the average engagement ring cost in the US is $5000 to $6000 USD. ..for a J colored diamond. You can get a synthetic “synthesized” lab created diamond or gemstone for a fraction of the price, with a better color grade and clarity.

A lab created diamond or gemstone is grown from a seed diamond and is exactly the same in all properties as a diamond dug from the ground but without the negative ecological and humane impact. Due to the fact that these gems are grown in a controlled environment they have far fewer flaws – pins and inclusions that are caused from debris etc in a natural environment.

We have all heard of the 4 C’s when it comes to a diamond – cut, color, carat size, and clarity. The better quality of your diamond means a more ideal cut can be achieved – to achieve this ideal cut, your diamond needs to be free of visual inclusions, it needs to be clear. The 4th C is clarity, it’s not hard to imagine that if you are purchasing a larger diamond (1 carat or more), you’re either going to be paying a very hefty price or you are going to be getting a lower quality diamond.

There are instances where someone prefers a warmer stone and that is a personal preference but most people would prefer a more colorless stone or they can’t tell the difference under jewelry store lights. They all sparkle and look dazzling in a jewelry store environment. It’s hard to believe they are not all top quality but if you are comparing a J color to an I color, you won’t be able to see a difference. If however, you compared that J color to a D color, you would notice immediately that the D color stands out in beauty . Clarity is important as well. It impacts the sparkle and overall beauty of the gem – you want as clear of a gem as possible. If it’s a colored stone, the lack of clarity will diminish not only the sparkle but the richness of color. You also want it to be as flawless as possible. Flawless is fairly self explanatory but some inclusions can actually affect the durability of a gem. Experienced stone cutters know how to cut a gem to bring out it’s best qualities while taking into account it’s deficiencies but with all things, something has to give.

So when thinking of purchasing a quality piece of jewelry, you don’t want to buy on a whim while standing in a brightly lit jewelry store. You want quality that will last and bring as much enjoyment 10, 20, 40 years down the road as it did the day you bought or received it. I’m not saying you can’t buy quality in a jewelry store, of course you can but you want to do your research and get the best for your money… and that maybe a synthetic gem in the form of Moissanite and or lab created diamonds and gems.

Is a Cheap Engagement Ring always Cheap?

A so called cheap engagement ring doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not quality. Take the case of a Laraci Ethical Fine Jewelers handcrafted Moissanite Engagement Ring. Laraci rings are set with industry leading Charles & Colvard moissanite or Neo gem’s. All of our settings and bands are made of recycled precious metals that would be used in a far more expensive diamond ring but at a fraction of the cost. The only difference in the less expensive ring is the diamonds have been replaced with moissanite.

Moissanite is a lab created, durable, beautiful, colorless or near colorless gem that is staking a real foothold in the engagement ring market. Moissanite resists chipping more than a diamond and out sparkles a diamond by 10%. The added sparkle of a moissanite isn’t enough to give it’s identity away that it’s not a diamond, it’s just enough to make it look like a flawless, rarer, more expensive diamond.

Some people will be proud of their budget friendly engagement ring for the environmentally friendly status while others for the simple fact that they are being fiscally responsible. While this will surely be an individual choice, no matter the reasons for buying a cheap engagement ring, if it’s a Laraci Ethical Engagement Ring be assured that it is of the highest quality and we are positive you will love it a for lifetime.

Not all cheap engagement rings are equal though and we would definitely like to clarify that cubic zirconia and moissanite are not the same thing. Cubic zirconia or CZ as it is often called is a brittle stone that is not suitable for a lifelong everyday ring. While cubic zirconia may look like a diamond or moissanite, it is really only suitable for costume jewelry. CZ scratches easily and can shatter, which would indeed classify it as a truly cheap engagement ring in price and in quality. An interesting fact about CZ, if you were to lay it down over text you can actually see the text through it, making it a real giveaway that it is not a diamond or moissanite.

We might also mention that the markup on a setting with a diamond is generally higher than that of the moissanite setting as well. Even though it may be the exact setting, just due to the fact that the diamond ring is a far higher price overall they are able to inflate the setting price as well. So armed with a little knowledge you can get a cheap engagement ring that’s high quality and beautiful while staying on budget.

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