The alternative to natural or mined diamonds is usually lab-grown diamonds or moissanite. Although both are great substitutes for naturally occurring diamonds, understanding their differences and similarities will help you get what you want. Let’s get started.
What Is Moissanite?
This is an alternative to mined diamond made from silicon carbide. Silicon carbide is used due to its shimmering appearance, affordability and durability. However, most moissanite is made from synthetic materials simulating silicon carbide because it is a rare mineral today.
What Is A Lab-Grown Diamond?
As the name suggests, a lab-grown diamond is an alternative to mined diamond grown in the lab using carbon dioxide molecules. Growing the lab gown diamond uses advanced technology to have the same chemical, physical composition and appearance as a mined diamond. As such, lab-grown diamonds are considered real diamonds of the same color, clarity and carat weight as mined diamond.
The Differences Between Lab-Grown Diamonds And Moissanite
The following are differences between a lab-grown diamond and a moissanite.
Grading
Since lab-grown diamonds match a mined diamond’s chemical and physical composition, they are both graded under the 4Cs and given certification following a similar process. Moissanite, on the other hand, is graded based on its color only. The best quality of moissanite is the Premium, which falls within the G-H color, and the Super premium between the D-F color.
Composition
Although both types of diamonds are made in the lab, they have very different chemical compositions. The lab-grown diamond is made of chemicals that constitute the natural diamond, while moissanite is made of synthetic materials.
Features
Due to their different composition, the two types of diamonds have different features. For example, moissanite has higher clarity than the lab-grown diamond since the synthetic material used is the highest form of clarity. In addition, the moissanite has a higher reflective index. Therefore, the intensity of its brilliance is higher, so that when exposed to sunlight, it displays rainbow-coloured flashes.
Similarities Between Lab-Grown Diamonds And Moissanite
One of the similarities between the two is that they are both man-made diamonds. Also, both lab-grown and moissanite are affordable as compared to mined diamonds. This is because the former have skipped the process of extraction and polishing to the end product. Hence, their production cost is reduced.
We hope this article informs your purchase decision of what you need within your budget.