There is a wide variety of common gemstones on the market, with varying prices, each with its unique charm. However, the dazzling diamond is the most adored by consumers. For thousands of years, diamonds have represented a person’s status and power, symbolized eternal love and vows, and have always been coveted by people.

Because diamonds always receive people’s attention, the price is very high, creating a “distant but not profane” situation. Hence, the market continues to appear with various affordable diamond alternatives to meet the psychological level of consumer demand and save a lot of money.

In addition to diamonds and cultivated diamonds, have you ever heard of moissanite and crystal diamonds? Although these stones have the word “diamond” in their commercial terminology, they are essentially different from natural diamonds, and the following is a comparison of the differences between them.

The first thing everyone needs to understand is：

• Natural diamonds=Lab-Grown Diamond
• Natural diamonds ≠ moissanite, crystal diamonds

What is a natural diamond?

Natural diamonds are also known as “diamonds.” It is a non-renewable resource and is considered a symbol of love because of its rarity. Natural diamonds are formed at a depth of more than 100 kilometers below the earth’s surface. They are then driven to the surface by biological and geological activity such as volcanic eruptions and then excavated by people. However, man has not interfered with them during the production process, and they are the most challenging material on the earth’s surface. The high temperature and pressure in the earth’s mantle cause carbon elements to form crystals to form diamonds, occasionally encasing surrounding dust or liquid impurities. Diamonds encrusted with impurities usually contain small amounts of sodium, potassium, and other minerals that reveal information about the environment in which they were formed.

What are Lab-Grown Diamond？

Lab-Grown Diamond are also known as manufactured diamonds and synthetic diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds are specially manufactured in a laboratory but are not chemically different from natural diamonds – both are made purely of carbon. As a result, lab-grown diamonds have the same appearance, hardness, and brilliance as naturally mined diamonds. Cultivated diamonds have the same atomic structure as natural diamonds, and their quality is comparable to or surpasses that of natural diamonds under the 4Cs of diamonds. Boosted diamonds are diamonds, and the price is about 20% to 30% lower than natural diamonds. In addition, cultivated diamonds are divided into HPHT diamonds (made by high temperature and pressure) and CVD diamonds (made by chemical vapor precipitation), depending on the production method.

What is Moissanite?

• Moissanite is not a diamond, a crystal made of silicon carbide used as an inexpensive substitute for jewelry and engagement rings. In short, moissanite diamonds are fake diamonds. Natural Moissanite is very rare and was initially formed from a meteorite that struck the Earth and created a crater. After the initial discovery of Moissanite, Moissanite rarely occurs outside of cavities. It takes half a century to find the next natural Moissanite deposit. That is why most of the Moissanite on the market is manufactured.
• The history of Moissanite dates back to the late 19th century when a scientist named Henry Moisan discovered the mineral while studying rock samples from a meteorite crater. The dazzling sparkle of the diamond led Moisan to learn it. Because of the dazzling light, Moisan thought he was finding diamonds at the time. But in 1904, after several years of careful study, he discovered that the crystal did not have the same chemical composition as a diamond because it was composed of silicon carbide. So the mineral form he found was named Moissanite after him, but as early as 1902, scientists had already found a way to make artificial silicon carbide in the laboratory.

• Besides its chemical composition, manufactured moissanite is very similar to diamond in terms of internal structure, physical values, and appearance, and many of its characteristics are similar to diamond.

Differences between natural diamonds, cultivated diamonds, moissanite：

The following table provides a quick and clear understanding of natural and cultivated diamonds’ physical characteristics. At the same time, moissanite is not a diamond, although it is similar to a diamond in all values. However, in recent years, moissanite has become quite popular and has been made into various accessories by artisans. Consumers who want to buy natural diamonds should be careful not to be misled by commercial talk but to judge for themselves.

How to distinguish natural diamond, Lab-Grown Diamond and moissanite?

natural diamond/Lab-Grown Diamond

Since natural diamonds and cultivated diamonds have the same physical atomic structure and are very similar in appearance, they are difficult to judge with the naked eye, and even very experienced jewelry appraisal experts, with the help of a professional together, will have times when they make mistakes in judgment. Therefore, the most direct way for consumers to find out information about a diamond when purchasing a diamond is based on the certificate provided by the International Gemological Identification Structure. If you are shopping for a natural diamond, it is recommended that the diamond supplier provide a GIA certificate. If you are looking for a cultivated diamond, the IGI certificate is recommended. It is also important to note that the word “Laboratory-Grown Diamond” appears on the official certificate for sophisticated diamonds to indicate that it is a laboratory-grown diamond, so don’t be fooled by the rhetoric of the merchant.

Diamond / Moissanite

If the difference between diamonds and moissanites is to be judged, it can be based on the following five points：

• Brightness is different: Natural diamond is a single refractive stone, while moissanite is a birefringent stone, so if you use a unique identification loupe to observe, you will find that the moissanite dispersion phenomenon is more substantial, the prismatic lines of the facets will have a heavy shadow, no matter how to change the angle of observation, the heavy shadow will not disappear.
• The fire is different: as a transparent material, the high refractive index of the diamond contributes to its substantial dispersion value, and when white light passes through the diamond’s facets, it disperses into a rainbow of spectral colors. Therefore, when diamonds and moissanite are placed together in bright sunlight, moissanite produces a more intense sparkle, and their colors are more prosperous than those of diamonds.

• Weight difference: the exact size of diamonds and moissanite, moissanite density, and specific gravity are smaller, so the weight of moissanite will be about 15% lighter than diamonds. Although the wearer may not feel in the hands, using a professional electronic jewelry scale will identify the difference between the two.
• Further clarity: Since moissanite stones are made in a laboratory, of course, internal defects are minimized sincerely, so their precision is generally higher than that of diamonds, with fewer impurities.
• Different electrical conductivity: according to information issued by gemological authorities, 80% of moissanite is electrically conductive, while common colorless or light yellow diamonds are not, and only blue and blue-gray type IIB diamonds are electrically conductive.

How should I choose?

Although the jewelry market is full of available items, natural diamonds are still the most attractive. Still, many consumers are left wanting because they are difficult to mine and very expensive. With the advancement of technology, cultivated diamonds can be produced in large quantities, and their price and appearance are impeccable, which has become a new global trend.

Whether it is a natural diamond, cultivated diamond, moissanite, or any other kind of gemstone, each has its unique characteristics, and prices vary. Consumers from different social classes have different spending habits and budgets and are free to choose the jewel of their choice. However, the disadvantage of having more options is that fake diamonds and gemstones are now common in the market, and various promotions are also available, so consumers must make sure they find a reputable merchant and ask for a certificate to ensure their rights are not infringed upon.