Moissanite & Diamond
Everything you need to know about the precious stones we use in our Enchanted Collection
What is Moissanite?
Discovered by a French doctor who came across the metal at a meteorite site in 1893, moissanite is a rare, naturally occurring mineral made from silicon carbide.
Natural moissanite is very rare and only found in a few places on earth, such as tops of volcanoes. Upon his discovery Dr Moissan spent the rest of his life trying to recreate it in lab-grown environments. In the 1990's, the mineral was able to successfully recreated by thermally growing silicon carbide crystals and introduced in the market.
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What is Diamond?
Known as the hardest substance on earth, diamond is a mineral formed when carbon is exposed to extremely high temperature and pressure.
The diamond is known for its extremely durable nature, scoring a 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. Diamond is highly resistant to breaking, chemical changes & environmental changes. Its eternal appeal is why diamonds are a great investment and are often passed down generations.
READ MOREHow Lab-grown Diamond is made
It's a common conception that lab-grown diamonds are not real diamonds. In fact, lab-grown diamonds are identical in chemical composition and physical attributes to a naturally mined diamond. The main differences between a lab-grown diamond and a naturally mined diamond is that lab-grown diamonds have a known origin, with no implications of unsustainable gem mining conflict, and are less costly than a naturally mined diamond to obtain.
1
Seed Growing
A diamond seed is placed inside a sealed, temperature controlled chamber. Hydrogen & methane is added to the chamber allowing pure carbon to attach to the seed.
2
Heat & pressure
Added heat and pressure to the chamber allows the methane and hydrogen to stick to the seed & grows the carbon structure atom by atom, for 3-4 weeks.
3
Refining diamond
Once the growing process is complete, the rough diamond is shaped and cut by a specialist gemologist to create the desired stone ready for setting.
LAB GROWN VS. NATURAL GEMSTONES
Naturally occurring moissanite is very rare; in many cases the mining process of naturally occurring diamonds is very ethically questionable. Lab-grown moissanite and diamond provides an alternative that not only carry the same chemical composition and physical characteristics, but a more ethically-focused and affordable option.
Why choose Lab-grown?
Ethically made
Natural identical
Lower cost
Traceable
Lower energy
More available
Moissanite vs. Diamond
At S-kin we offer both moissanite and diamond as options for our Enchanted Collection rings, It's important to know some key benefits for each stone and why you should choose one or the other when selecting your forever ring.
| Key Attributes | Moissanite | Diamond |
|---|---|---|
| Durability Stones are measured on the Mohs Scale of Hardness | Moissanite scores 9.25 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness and is the second hardest stone to diamond | Diamond scores 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness and is the hardest substance known on Earthย |
| Brilliance This refers to the stone's ability to disperse light | Ranging from 2.65 to 2.69 on the refractive scale, moissanite has higher brilliance than diamonds. | Ranging from 2.417 to 2.419 on the refractive scale, diamond is known for its intense sparkle |
| Ethical & sustainable considerations Energy used and origin of the stone | S-kin Studio uses lab-grown moissanite which are known origin, and are not subject to unsustainable gem mining and conflict. | S-kin Studio uses lab-grown diamond which are known origin, and are not subject to unsustainable gem mining and conflict. |
| Cost Affordability of your jewellery piece | Moissanite are usually far less costly than diamond.ย | Lab grown diamond are not as expensive as naturally occuring diamonds, however are 4-6x more expensive than lab-grown moissanite. |
Want to learn more?
Learn about how each moisanite and diamond used by S-kin Studio are certified
OUR DIAMOND & MOISSANITE CERTIFICATIONS
Discover our ethical bridal collection. Featuring ethically lab-grown moissanite and diamonds
SHOP THE
ENCHANTED COLLECTION
Explore the different ways you can care for your precious gemstones