Wonderfully brilliant, durable and very sturdy, moissanite is a gemstone that is fast becoming more popular. With a lifetime warranty that your gem will keep its brilliance and fire, it costs but a fraction of the ever comparable diamond. It is thus no big surprise why countless couples are picking moissanite over other gems for their wedding and engagement bands. Yet, have you ever wondered how much a moissanite stone is really worth? Let's unpack it for you.
Why is everyone talking about moissanite?
Because moissanite is a wonderful, superbly brilliant gemstone that is quickly becoming known amongst South Africans as the best alternative to diamonds.
With strong similarities to diamonds, moissanite, with its 9.25-9.5 hardness rating on the Moh's hardness scale, is the second-hardest gemstone around after diamond (10/10 on the Moh's scale). Like diamonds, moissanites are also carbon based and thanks to its silicon carbide structure it is a gemstone that is exceptionally impervious to scratches and able to endure a lifetime of every day wear while never losing its radiance. Adding to this wonderful gemstone's appeal is its competitive price range and sustainable origins.
Though not a cheap process, lab grown gemstones in general are more affordable than mined equivalents and moissanite is no different. If you're still unsure of whether or not to buy a moissanite engagement ring despite its diamond-like properties, read on to see how much their pricing actually compares to mined and lab grown diamonds.
How much does moissanite cost?
Like diamond pricing, moissanites are also priced according to its size, its colour, its clarity and its cut.
Weight (Carats) vs Size
Moissanite's density differs slightly from that of diamonds meaning two stones of the same weight can be slightly different in size (more on that in this blog). Unlike diamonds however, moissanite is marketed mainly on its size in millimeters rather than its weight, because when compared to a diamond of the same size (diameter and depth) the moissanite may differ in its weight measurement.
Colour
Moissanites, like diamonds, are "white" gemstones, but both can show variation from stone to stone in the amount of colour they can display. They are graded on a colour scale with three colour groupings for Colourless (D,E,F), Near Colourless (G,H,I) and Slightly Tinted (J, K, L) which displays subtle tones of colour ranging from yellow to brownish tones.
Diamonds are prized higher for gradings with less colour and so too are moissanite, meaning DEF stones are more expensive than GHI and JKL coloured stones.
As colour is a matter of personal preference, at Stella we offer our clients the opportunity to select the colour they prefer. As a default we prefer using Near Colourless stones for their most natural appearance and cost effectiveness.
Clarity
A gemstone's clarity grading depends on the amount of internal and surface impurities, inclusions or blemishes it contains. Naturally mined stones produce a wide variety of naturally occurring inclusions, however lab grown stones like moissanite and lab diamonds are produced in carefully controlled environments to limit the occurrence of inclusions.
Like colour, clarity is also graded on a scale where the price is highest where there are the least amount of inclusions:
FL-IF: Flawless to inside immaculate
VVS1-VVS2: Very extremely slight incorporations
VS1-VS2: Very slight considerations
SI1-SI2: Slightly included
At Stella we select and use only VVS1-VVS2 gemstones.
Cut
The cut does not refer to the shape of the gemstone, but rather the way yhe stone is faceted to achieve good symmetry, balance, light dispersion and proportion. Well cut moissanites, regardless of their shapes, will maximise the amount of light that is dispersed and reflected in the stone. The cut is graded as Fair, Good, Very Good and Excellent.
All Stella moissanites have Very Good or Excellent gradings.
Cost Comparisons
Now that you know what goes into the price of moissanites, lets look at what moissanite costs next to diamonds of comparable size and quality specs. For comparison sake, we've looked at publicly shown market prices as of January 2022 for a 1ct round DEF colour, ideal cut, VVS1-VVS2 gemstone in each of the following:
| Carat | Mined diamond | Lab diamond | Moissanite |
| 1 | From R227 700 | From R90 445 | R6730 |
Though we specialise in moissanite, we do also provide lab grown diamonds by request. If you're still not sure about moissanite and feel that diamond is the way to go for you, go ahead and reach out to us today.
Finally...
The best part of buying a moissanite is that you can save literal hundreds of thousands of Rands depending on the size and quality of gemstone you want when compared to diamonds. The best part of owning a moissanite is that you can expect the same luxurious beauty, durability and aesthetics as diamonds.
With Stella Moissanite you are guaranteed that your gemstone will be of the greatest quality. Come talk to us today about making your perfect ring.
Email us at hello@stellamoissanite.com or send us a WhatsApp on 083 212 2152.
