The question everyone asks before buying: is moissanite actually as good as a diamond? Short answer — by most optical measures, it's better. Here's the honest breakdown.
Hardness
Diamond: 10 on the Mohs scale. Moissanite: 9.25. Diamond wins, but barely. For context, sapphire is 9 and it's a perfectly acceptable engagement ring material that lasts generations. Moissanite sits between sapphire and diamond.
Practical translation: both stones are effectively unscratchable in everyday wear.
Brilliance and fire
This is where moissanite wins outright.
- Brilliance (refractive index): Moissanite 2.65, diamond 2.42. Moissanite bends light more aggressively, which means more sparkle.
- Fire (dispersion): Moissanite 0.104, diamond 0.044. More than double the rainbow flash.
Look at a moissanite under sunlight or restaurant lighting and you'll see rainbows that a diamond of the same size won't produce. Some people love it. Some people want the "icier" look of a diamond. Both are valid.
Color
Top-grade moissanite is D-E-F colorless. Same as the colorless range on the GIA diamond scale. To the naked eye, they're indistinguishable.
Clarity
Lab-grown moissanite is typically VVS1 or better — eye-clean and flawless under 10x magnification. Better clarity than most mined diamonds at any price point.
Price
This is where math gets funny.
- 1.5ct round brilliant diamond: roughly $8,000–$15,000 retail depending on color and clarity.
- 1.5ct round brilliant moissanite from Stone Blvd: $149.
Same fire. 1% of the price.
Ethics
Diamonds have a supply chain problem. Even "conflict-free" diamond certification doesn't guarantee zero harm — mining still means environmental damage and labor issues.
Moissanite is grown in a lab. Full stop. No mines, no carbon footprint at scale, no supply chain you have to investigate.
Resale value
Here's the honest part: diamonds hold more resale value than moissanite. But the catch is that most diamonds lose 50–70% of retail the moment you leave the store. Resale value on jewelry is a losing game regardless. If resale matters to you, buy gold bars.
The verdict
Moissanite beats diamond on brilliance, fire, price, ethics, and clarity. Diamond beats moissanite on hardness (barely) and resale (marginally).
If you want maximum sparkle without the markup, moissanite is the better stone.