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Diamond vs. Moissanite: Brilliance
When you see a diamond sparkle, you’re experiencing its ability to bend and refract light. As light strikes the pavilions (the angled surfaces on the lower half of the diamond), it bounces and is refracted up through the diamond’s table (the top, flat surface) to your eye. When this occurs, it’s called brilliance—a remarkable quality of diamonds.

Moissanites, on the other hand, give off a different type of sparkle. Their facets are cut and formed differently, causing less white light refraction than a diamond. While moissanites do create sparkle, it is not as clear and vibrant as those of a diamond.

Interestingly, moissanites have a higher refractive index — a measure of the speed at which light travels through the material — than diamonds. The refractive index of moissanite is 2.65, versus 2.42 for diamonds. Overall, the refractive index of the two stones is very similar.

In addition to diamond’s signature brilliance, the gemstones also emit fire, which is the reflection of colored, or rainbow light. A moissanite also gives off a vibrant colored light reflection. In some cases and under certain light, the moissanite emits extensive color dazzling—which some people don’t prefer.

While relatively noticeable when looking at a moissanite vs. diamond side by side, the difference in brilliance and fire is increasingly obvious with larger sizes, especially when the gemstones are viewed up close in certain lighting conditions.

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7 Reasons Moissanite is the Wrong Choice for Engagement Rings


Moissanite is the most popular diamondsimulant on the market today. It's fantastically sparkly, hard as a rock, and so much more affordable than diamonds. It's diamond-like enough that our customers complain about not being able to tell the difference.


1 to 5 ct Radiant Moissanite image
1 to 5 ct Radiant Moissanite

While moissanite might be a crowd favorite – heck, it's one of our favorites too – it certainly isn't without its faults. So before you go breaking down the doors to try and save yourself a pretty penny by ditching the diamonds, make sure you're armed with the facts.

Moiss-A-What?
Ok, ok, so what even is this stuff? Moissanite is a shine-tastic gemstone and is otherwise known as a diamond simulant.

The stuff was first discovered in Arizona circa 1983 when a meteorite crashed into the earth. French chemist Henri Moissan discovered (and obviously named) Moissanite deep down in the cater. The rest is history.


Eve, 2 ct Pear Moissanite image
Eve, 2 ct Pear Moissanite

Natural moissanite is super rare since meteorites don't just crash to earth on the daily, so the stuff we see today has all been lab-made. Moissanite is diamond-like in many ways. It's clear, sparkly, and extremely hard. The best way to tell the difference between the two is to look at the price tag.

Other than that, it's pretty hard to tell. We've even had customers complain their friends think they're rich when they see the large moissanite stone on their hands. That's how similar the two are.

That being said, moissanite can be a bad choice from the extra sparkle, the color, and the… well, I guess you can just read on and find out.

1. They're Way Too Shiny
Moissanite has a crazy amount of sparkle. Its refractive index is higher than a natural diamond's, producing more shine and a special kind of fiery rainbow brilliance.

While some people go crazy for these sparkles, others turn up their noses at them. In our industry, some diamond sellers talk smack about (the far less profitable) moissanite stones, comparing them to colorful disco balls.

How big is the difference, really? You be the judge: here's a comparison of a diamond and a moissanite side by side.


Round Cut Moissanite and Lab Diamond imageRound Cut Moissanite and Lab Diamond
Anyway, you slice it, love it or hate it, this rainbow sparkle party is a–absolutely gorgeous–dead giveaway.

2. It's Just Too Perfect
Moissanite is a nearly flawless gemstone. It has the kind of size, clarity, and color few diamonds do, which can make them look a little too perfect.

Take a look at some of our stones, and you'll clearly see why people have this misconception.


</b><b>Too good to be true? Not if we're talkin' moissanite. imageToo good to be true? Not if we're talkin' moissanite.
While it might be near impossible to find a flawless diamond, moissanite is nearly flawless nearly always.

But is there really any flaw in being flawless? We think not.

3. It's Cheap
Moissanite is inexpensive, so it must not be as good as a diamond, right? Right&#8230; At least, if you believe the DeBeers narrative, it is.

See, the thing about DeBeers is they've spent billions of dollars to convince couples that the price of an engagement ring is representative of the couple's love or whatever. So if your center stone is cheap, what does that say about your love?

This story they've been telling us is a total fabrication, and not to rant about capitalism, but it worked. The truth is the price of an engagement ring, and moreover, what stone you choose to put in it has nothing to do with how much you love someone. Why would it?

Ok, rant over.

Why is moissanite so much less expensive than a diamond? Well, we're going apples to oranges here a bit because the process and the materials aren't the same, so neither is the price.


Solitaire Nelly, 1.5 ct Round Moissanite image
Solitaire Nelly, 1.5 ct Round Moissanite

Moissanite is a lot more eco-friendly and affordable to make, which means they are less expensive to buy.

In most other ways, moissanite is just like a diamond. It's transparent, hard, sparkly, and it will last you a lifetime, which is all we need to hear. Still, if your goal is to spend as much money as possible, definitely get a diamond and leave moissanite to the rest of us.

4. The Color is&#8230; Off
Sort of.

Tinted diamonds have a brownish or yellowish hue. Tinted moissanite has a yellow or greenish hue. So, same thing.

All of our moissanite here at Keyzar is colorless unless, of course, we are talking about the colored moissanite, which we have in black, brown, and a few other colors that are simply gorge&#8230; but we digress.

Whatever coloration the stone has is different from a diamond's tint and coloration. So if you were looking for a moissanite stone that looks like a diamond with a low color grade, you're all out of luck.

5. They&#8217;re Not as Hard as Diamonds
"Moissanite isn't as hard as a diamond."

Well, duh! Nothing is as hard as a diamond, but moissanite does come pretty close. Diamonds rank a 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, and moissanite lands right around a 9.25. What does that mean?

To put it simply, nothing can scratch a diamond other than a diamond. So while moissanite is just slightly further down the list, nothing is going to scratch moissanite other than something harder than a 9.25.

Basically, nothing will scratch moissanite other than other moissanite or a diamond. That is, of course, unless you're working with a ton of Boron, then no promises.

6. But it's Made in a Lab
Moissanite in jewelry is made in a lab, 'tis true. But that's only because it's extremely rare in nature. In fact, the only natural moissanite ever found came to earth on a meteorite!

But here's the thing, because moissanite is made in a lab, it's sustainable, it's beautiful, and we can double down on the affordability because they cost far less than lab diamonds.

It's a double win to go with the double sparkle (aw yeah).

7. They're Not Romantic

</b></span><b>Moissanite doesn't have the same romance as a natural diamond. Hard eye roll.</b><b> imageMoissanite doesn't have the same romance as a natural diamond. Hard eye roll.

Not to go on a whole DeBeers rant again here, but they've been raising prices and expectations as long as they've been in the business. What's truly heartbreaking is that they've convinced so many people that because they can't afford a giant mined diamond, their stories aren't romantic.

We beg to differ. Moissanite was discovered in the wake of a literal shooting star. Are you going to sit here and tell us that's not romantic?

The truth is the romance of an engagement ring doesn't come from the stone itself. It comes from the story and the people behind it. Are you reciting a pulled from the earth poem or the tale of a shooting star?

In the end, it's all about you.