Moissanites or white sapphires are most comparable to a diamond. While there are visible differences, these gems will look the closest to a diamond while offering a more affordable price. These stones are also high on the Mohs scale of relative hardness, making them suitable for everyday wear.
Moissanite closely resembles the look of a real diamond, making it perfect for the best diamond replica rings. It even "out sparkles" real diamonds because it has a higher rating on the refraction scale, which measures how a gemstone reflects light.
Of all the white gemstone alternatives, moissanite looks and behaves the most like diamond. When viewed side by side, diamond and moissanite are typically indistinguishable.
Moissanite Arguably the best faux diamond in existence, moissanite comprises silicon carbide, which means it is almost of the same hardness as a natural diamond. It also has reasonable colorlessness, although the glow is far more colorful than what you would see in a real diamond.
Moissanite is considered the most realistic fake diamond. The colorless, naturally occurring (but more often lab-made) mineral boasts an impressive hardness almost to the level of real diamonds. Cubic zirconia is another good option, but it's not as crystal-clear or as hard as moissanite.
This means that diamond jewelry is often imitated and sold as a real diamond. If you have been sold a fake diamond it is most likely to be CZ (Cubic Zirconia), an imitation created in a lab. While some choose to knowingly buy and sell CZ gems, others attempt to exploit the industry and sell them as real diamonds.
Cubic Zirconia
Because of its low cost, durability, and close visual likeness to diamond, CZ is widely considered as one of the best faux diamonds. Since its market entry in 1976 CZ quickly dominated the diamond simulant market and it remains the most gemologically and economically important simulant.
Moissanites or white sapphires are most comparable to a diamond. While there are visible differences, these gems will look the closest to a diamond while offering a more affordable price. These stones are also high on the Mohs scale of relative hardness, making them suitable for everyday wear.
A diamond tester will only test positive for diamond and moissanite. Synthetic moissanite has been used as a gemstone only since the 1990s, so if your piece is from an earlier era, it's definitely a diamond if it passes this test!
Though a version of CZ can technically appear in a naturally formed stone, it is extremely rare, and all CZs on the market today are manmade. CZs are colorless and look like diamonds to the untrained eye, but they do not have the same chemical makeup as diamonds.
Emerald. Rarer than diamonds, emeralds are also more expensive than the same quality diamond. Their colouring ranges from green to blue-green, and the darker the colour, the more expensive they are.
White Zircon
Not to be confused with synthetic cubic zirconia, zircon is a natural mineral. With its excellent brilliance and dispersion, it has a long history as a diamond simulant. In terms of appearance, zircon comes closer to diamond than any other mined gemstone.
“A moissanite gem is approximately one-tenth the cost of a mined diamond of equal size and quality,” O'Connell says. “The value of moissanite is greater with larger carat weights.” More specifically, if you want a large-carat white gemstone, but don't have the money for a large diamond, moissanite is the way to go.
Moissanite disperses light very well and has higher light refraction than diamond, and will appear more brilliant. Additionally, moissanite is less likely to attract grease or dirt over time than a diamond due to its crystalline structure, which should help keep the 'sparkle' longer between cleanings.
Forever One Moissanite is widely recognized as the most premium brand of Moissanite in the market. Created by Charles & Colvard, a US-based company, it stands as the original creator of Moissanite gems, with a wealth of experience in creating and faceting Moissanite gems that is unparalleled.
1 carat moissanite cost
As a guide, you can expect to pay around $5000 for a nearly colorless 1-carat diamond, but completely colorless moissanite will cost you significantly less at around $600.
To a trained professional, moissanite can usually be identified by its distinctive fire. However, this is not an exact science and some professional gemological equipment will be needed to truly tell the difference between a moissanite and diamond. This is where a diamond tester comes in.
Moissanite is actually more brilliant than a diamond!
Brilliance, which refers to a stone's ability to reflect white light, is a good measure for how much a gemstone will 'sparkle'. Moissanite's brilliance is higher than diamond's due to its higher “refractive index” (Diamond's is 2.42, whereas Moissanite's is 2.65).
Yes, some diamond simulants can pass a diamond tester.
For example, moissanite, a man made gem, may pass as a diamond on a standard tester pen. This is because moissanite also has very high thermal conductivity! Other diamond simulants, such as CZ, will not pass the tester.
Emerald Cut Diamond
An emerald-shaped diamond is a rectangular shape with blocked (i.e. cut-off) corners. This shape can make the diamond appear bigger because of its large table. In addition, the step cut of an emerald-shaped diamond gives it a mesmerizing “hall of mirrors” look that will also make it appear bigger.
Comparing the hardness of the two gems, CZ is less than half as durable as moissanite. Hardness also measures how likely a stone is to scratch or break down under chemical or temperature changes. Because CZs have a lower rating, they have less resistance to these extremes.
Simulated diamonds are also known as diamond simulants and include things like cubic zirconia (CZ), moissanite, and YAG. They can also include some natural clear gemstones like white sapphire, white zircon or even clear quartz.
1. ROUND BRILLIANT DIAMOND. By far the most popular cut is the Round Brilliant, with it's fifty-seven perfectly aligned facets it's brilliance really does out-shine the others. Total internal reflection is the key here; light travels through the stone giving optimum sparkle and scintillation.