Moissanite vs. Diamond
Moissanite and diamond can look almost identical across a room — but they are different stones, with different qualities and very different prices. Here is the honest comparison, so you always know exactly what you are wearing.
What is moissanite?
Moissanite is a gemstone made of silicon carbide — often called the gem from the stars. It was first discovered in 1893, inside a fallen meteorite in Arizona, by the Nobel Prize-winning chemist Henri Moissan, who at first mistook it for diamond. In nature it is extraordinarily rare, so the moissanite in jewellery today is created in the laboratory: traceable, conflict-free, and with a far smaller footprint than a mined stone.
Is moissanite a diamond?
No — and we would never say it is. A diamond is crystallised carbon; moissanite is silicon carbide. They are two distinct stones that happen to look remarkably alike. Moissanite actually has a higher refractive index than diamond, so it throws more rainbow fire. Diamond is harder — a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale to moissanite's 9.25 — though at 9.25, moissanite is still more than hard enough for a lifetime of everyday wear.
Moissanite vs. diamond vs. lab diamond
| ◆ Moissanite | Natural Diamond | Lab Diamond | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardness (Mohs) | 9.25 — durable for everyday wear | 10 | 10 |
| Brilliance & fire | More fire — higher refractive index (2.65+) | Classic brilliance, less fire | Same as natural diamond |
| Colour | Colourless to near-colourless — we set D–E–F | Colourless to faintly tinted | Colourless to tinted |
| Price | Lowest — a fraction of a diamond | Highest | Below natural, above moissanite |
| Sourcing | Lab-created, conflict-free | Mined | Lab-created |
How to tell them apart
Side by side, the giveaway is the fire. Moissanite disperses more than twice the rainbow light of a diamond — a bright, playful flash that is especially visible in larger stones and in sunlight. To the eye, and to most standard testers, moissanite reads as a diamond; only a trained jeweller with a loupe, or a dedicated moissanite tester, can tell for certain.
What about cubic zirconia?
Cubic zirconia (CZ) is the inexpensive stone found in much of the jewellery sold on the high street, including many well-known fashion brands. It sparkles when new, but it sits well below moissanite: softer, far less fire, and prone to clouding, scratching, and dulling over months and years of wear. Moissanite stays brilliant for life.
Worth knowing: those brands often price their cubic-zirconia pieces in the same range as — or above — a MOHRA piece set with VVS1 moissanite. You can pay fashion-brand prices for a stone that clouds, or the same for one that outperforms it on every measure and lasts.
| ◆ Moissanite | Cubic Zirconia | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness (Mohs) | 9.25 — everyday durable | 8–8.5 — softer, scratches sooner |
| Brilliance & fire | Exceptional — more fire than a diamond | Modest, and fades as it dulls |
| Longevity | Stays clear and brilliant for life | Can cloud and scratch within a few years |
| Certificate | GRA certified | Rarely certified |
| Diamond tester | Passes standard testers | Usually fails |
Why choose moissanite
- Exceptional brilliance — more fire than a diamond
- Conflict-free — lab-created, fully traceable
- Everyday durability — 9.25 on the Mohs scale
- Extraordinary value — a fraction of a diamond's price
The moissanite we choose
Every MOHRA piece is set with VVS1 moissanite, graded to the colourless D–E–F range — the finest, brightest grade. Each stone is eye-clean, exceptionally brilliant, and arrives with a GRA certificate. And every one passes standard diamond testers.
It is the same stone premium jewellers set and certify as their best. We simply price it honestly.
Luxury you can live in.