What Is Moissanite? The Complete Guide
Moissanite was born from a meteorite and it might just be the most brilliant gemstone on earth. Here's everything you need to know before you buy.
Born from a meteorite. Made for everyday.
What Is Moissanite, Really?
Moissanite is a type of gemstone. Many people describe them as diamonds, diamond "look-alikes", or a simulant of CZ. However, moissanite is it's own mineral: silicon carbide, with its own chemistry, its own structure, and its own way of catching light.
In 1893, French scientist Henri Moissan was studying a meteorite impact crater in Canyon Diablo, Arizona, the same state where Olive Ave was founded, when he found crystals he'd never seen before. He was convinced he'd discovered diamonds.
It took over a decade of examination before he realized the truth: they were silicon carbide, an entirely different mineral. So rare in nature that you couldn't cut a single gemstone from what existed on Earth. Named moissanite in his honor, the stone spent the next century as a scientific curiosity, until researchers figured out how to grow it in a lab.
Today, all moissanite used in jewelry is lab-grown. And that's actually one of its most meaningful qualities: it requires no mining, has no conflict sourcing concerns, and is made with full transparency from start to finish.
Is moissanite a real gemstone?
Yes! Moissanite is a genuine gemstone with a GIA-recognized classification and decades of use in fine jewelry. It is not cubic zirconia. CZ is softer, less brilliant, and tends to cloud over time. Moissanite does none of those things. Moissanite has qualities that are distinctly its own, and for many people, those qualities are exactly what they're looking for.
What makes moissanite sparkle the way it does?
Every gemstone has a refractive index, a measure of how much it bends and bounces light. Diamond's is 2.42. Moissanite's is 2.65 to 2.69. That higher number means more light bending, more internal reflection, more visual depth.
It also has a higher dispersion than diamond, the quality that creates those rainbow flashes you see when light hits a stone at an angle. Diamond's dispersion is 0.044. Moissanite's is 0.104. More than double.
What that means in everyday terms: moissanite throws more light than any other gemstone. It's the most brilliant stone on earth, technically speaking. Some people see it in a ring and immediately know, that's the sparkle they want. Others prefer the more classic, white-light brilliance of a diamond. Both are beautiful. Both are right. It's genuinely a matter of what feels like you.
Libby wth a 7x5mm Moissanite in 14k Yellow Gold
How Durable Is Moissanite for Everyday Wear?
Moissanite rates 9.25 on the Mohs hardness scale. Diamond is a 10, the hardest substance on earth. Everything else used in fine jewelry, sapphire, ruby, emerald, is below moissanite. Regarding resistance to daily wear, scratches, and general life, moissanite is an exceptional choice.
Moissanite will not fade, tarnish, or cloud over time. The stone you receive is the stone you'll have in twenty years, and it will look the same.
The 0.75-point difference between moissanite and diamond on the Mohs scale is real, but it is not a practical concern for everyday jewelry as the Moh's hardness scale grades how one material scratches another. The only scenario where it becomes relevant is if you're regularly grinding your ring against diamond-abrasive materials, which is not most people's lives.
Will moissanite look different over time?
No. This is one of the most common fears, and it's worth making clear: moissanite is chemically stable and physically durable. Its sparkle comes from its internal structure, not from a coating or treatment that can wear off or needs maintenance. It doesn't require any special care beyond the same mild cleaning you'd give any fine jewelry or precious metal.
If you're drawn to moissanite, durability is not a reason to hesitate.
Moissanite vs. Diamond: An Honest Side-by-Side
Most comparisons you'll find online are written by someone trying to sell you one of the two as the better option.
The honest answer is that moissanite and diamond are both beautiful, both durable, and both legitimate choices for an engagement ring. The right one depends entirely on what you're actually looking for and what feels like you, not what you're "supposed" to want.
Appearance: To most people, moissanite and diamond are visually indistinguishable. Side by side in good light, the difference becomes more visible: moissanite throws more colored fire, diamond throws more white light. In larger stones, the distinction is more noticeable. In smaller stones or in lower light, the average person genuinely cannot tell.
One thing worth knowing: older generation moissanite sometimes carried a slight yellow or greenish tint. Modern colorless moissanite, including our Always Moissanite line, which uses only D–F color grades, has eliminated this. In daylight or standard indoor lighting, these stones read as bright white and clear.
Cost: The cost gap between lab grown diamond and moissanite has narrowed, but moissanite remains the more affordable option. Depending on your priorities, selecting moissanite might mean a larger stone, a more intricate setting, or money redirected somewhere else in your life together. There's no rule about what the "right" amount to spend is. There's just what feels right for you.
Emerson with a 1.00ct Lab Diamond in 14K Yellow Gold
Emerson with a 10x5mm Moissanite in 14K Rose Gold
Moissanite vs. Lab-Grown Diamond: Not the Same Thing
This one trips a lot of people up, and understandably so. Both are lab-grown. Both are ethical. Both are more affordable than natural diamonds. So what's actually different?
A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond. It has the same chemical composition as a natural diamond, pure carbon, arranged in the same crystal structure, and is graded on the same 4Cs scale. The only thing different about it is how it was formed. In a lab, not underground.
Moissanite is a different gemstone entirely. It's made of silicon carbide, not carbon. It has different optical properties, different sparkle, and a different origin story. It is it's own kind of gemstone.
If you want a stone that looks and performs exactly like a natural diamond, one that no one in the room will distinguish from the real thing, a lab-grown diamond is the answer. If you're drawn to moissanite on its own merits like its particular fire, its origin story, or its price point, that's a completely valid choice, and it's not a concession.
Moissanite isn't a cheaper version of a diamond. It's a different kind of beautiful.
Always Moissanite: Olive Ave's Exclusive Line
When we decided to carry moissanite, we didn't want to just source stones from a third-party supplier and pass them along. We wanted to offer something we could actually stand behind.
That's why we created Always Moissanite, our own exclusive line, developed to offer the best possible stone at a better price.
What Makes Always Moissanite Different?
- Colorless grade only. Every Always Moissanite stone is D–F on the color scale, the highest tier available. No near-colorless, no compromises.
- VS+ clarity, every stone. Clean, consistent, visually flawless to the naked eye.
- Cut for maximum brilliance. Our stones are cut specifically to maximize moissanite's natural fire and light performance
- By sourcing and offering our own exclusive line, we have greater control over quality and can pass the savings directly to you.
The result is a stone that looks genuinely stunning, holds up to everyday life, and costs a fraction of what you'd pay for a comparable lab-diamond. We offer it across our full engagement ring collection, as well as in fine jewelry.
If you're curious about what it looks like in person we'd love to show you. Book a virtual or in-person appointment with us to see the stone yourself.
Is Moissanite Right for You?
Moissanite might be for you if:
- You love the look of an exceptional, high-brilliance stone and you're open to one that doesn't have to be a diamond.
- Budget matters to you, not because you're cutting corners, but because you'd rather put that money toward a larger stone, a more detailed setting, or something else that matters in your life.
- You care about where your jewelry comes from. Moissanite is entirely lab-grown, entirely mining-free, and has a fully traceable origin.
- You're drawn to the origin story. There's something genuinely meaningful about wearing a stone that came to earth on a meteorite.
- You want something that will last. Moissanite is one of the most durable gemstones on earth and will look the same in twenty years as it does today.
Moissanite might not be for you if:
- You want a stone that is chemically and optically identical to a natural diamond. In that case, a lab-grown diamond is the better fit.
- The rainbow-fire sparkle isn't your style. Some people love it immediately. Others prefer the more classic white brilliance of a diamond. Both preferences are completely valid.
- Tradition and cultural significance of diamond matter deeply to you. That's a real consideration, not a superficial one.
There isn't a right answer here. There's just what feels like you and what will allow you to remember the feeling of your proposal for years to come.
frequently asked questions about moissanites
A Note Before You Decide
We know how much this decision can feel like it carries. The ring, the moment, the worry about getting it right.
What we've seen, over and over again, is that the "right" ring isn't the most expensive one, or the one that follows the rules, or the one everyone else seems to have. It's the one that feels true to the person wearing it.
For some people, that's a natural diamond. For others, it's a lab-grown stone. And for more people than you might expect, it's moissanite, not as a compromise, but as a first choice.
If you want to see Always Moissanite in person before you decide, we'd love to show you. And if you have questions, our team is genuinely happy to talk through them.
