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Sunday, September 7, 2008


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The Trouble With Moissanite Natural mined diamonds have been coming under a lot of heat recently. Award-winning journalist Cecil Adams sums it up the best in a recent article: “diamonds are a scam, pure and simple.” Most people in the new millennium understand that between the DeBeers diamond cartel, the issue of child labor in Third World diamond processing operations, and “blood diamonds” used to finance oppression and genocide in Third World African countries, not to mention your snooty and pretentious local jeweler, diamonds are just not worth the hassle, guilt, and let’s not forget thousands and thousands of questionably spent dollars. Lately, new synthetic diamonds have come on the market that have all of the look, appeal, and glittering beauty of natural diamonds, but without the baggage, and at a fraction of the cost. Since moissanite burst upon the scene in the late 90s, it has created quite a stir. Moissanite is gem-quality silicon carbide. The production of moissanite is a proprietary process and it is available only from C3 Inc, a division of Cree Research. When moissanite was first introduced to the market it created a great deal of publicity. This was due to the fact that moissanite would often fool a jeweler into thinking it was a natural diamond. Both the Nova and 20/20 TV news shows did segments featuring hidden cameras showing jewelers fooled and embarrassed by moissanite. What was actually happening though was not quite so simple. Jewelers generally rely on something called a “thermal-probe” to detect a fake diamond. Thermal probes work well with cubic zirconia, for instance. Moissanite, however, has a thermal conductivity that is very close to diamond. They were able to fool the older thermal probes. The fact of the matter is though; moissanite really just does not look that much like diamond. The two substances have radically different optical properties. These differences are clearly visible to the naked eye. It was obvious in both the Nova and 20/20 segments that the jewelers were clearly confused. They kept looking at the stone and then testing at and saying things like, “Well, I guess it must be real.” What they were really saying is “Well, I guess it must be real, but it sure is a weird looking diamond!” Problems with Moissanite as a Diamond Stimulant Anisotropy Unlike natural diamonds, or some of the better quality synthetic diamonds like those available from Diamond Nexus Labs, (http://www.diamondnexuslabs.com) moissanite stones have an optical quality known as “hexagonal polytypic.” What this means is that moissanite is doubly-refractive. And because of this they create a strong visual effect known as “birefringence.” This is visually seen as a doubling of the stone’s back facets that creates a marked “drunk-vision” effect. Dispersion Moissanite has a dispersive power nearly 2.5 times greater than that of diamond. This creates what’s known as the “disco-ball” effect. Some think that this excess fire is beautiful; others think it cheap and fake looking. Color It is impossible to produce a pure white moissanite. The stones have a quality known as “fluorescence” that causes them to appear slightly green or gray. This effect is much greater under natural light. In the jewelry store a moissanite dealer will always show the stones under a pink tinged light, as this tends to cancel out the fluorescence. Many people say they loved their moissanite ring until they got it into the sunlight. Cost Due to its relatively extensive manufacturing process and the fact that it is only available from one source, moissanite tends to be quite expensive (though still cheap when compared to diamonds) good quality moissanite stones run around $520 per caret. Better Synthetic Diamond Alternatives In the last two years there have been almost miraculous breakthroughs in the science of synthetic diamond creation. There are several new processes that create gemstones that are virtually indistinguishable from natural diamonds. One of the best I have found are the gemstones available from www.DiamondNexusLabs.com. I recently did independent research for several synthetic diamond companies and found their products to be among the best. Diamond Nexus gemstones cut glass, they have brilliance, dispersion and radiance factors that are very close to mined diamond, and best of all, as they are new in the US market, they are priced at an incredible $79 per caret. This is a bargain that probably will not last. Conclusion Moissanite stones are beautiful in their own right. They offer great sparkle and flash. However, if you truly are trying to purchase a gemstone that comes as close as possible to the properties of a natural diamond moissanite is not the best choice. Article by Gary La Court Article from ArticleCity

For example ruby and sapphire have the same chemical composition both are corundum but exhibit different colors. Depending on the type and extent of treatment, they can affect the value of a gemstone is called water. If you add manganese instead of chromium, beryl becomes pink morganite. What makes Sapphire a fancy stone.

The imitations copy the look and color of the real stone but possess neither their chemical nor physical characteristics. The same material can exhibit different colors. The facets must be cut at the proper angles, which varies depending on the optical properties of the gem. Synthetic corundums, including ruby and sapphire, are very common and they cost only a fraction of the natural stones. When light passes through a material, some of the light may be absorbed, while the rest passes through. They may exhibit pleochroism or double refraction. For example, ruby is the red variety of the species corundum, while any other color of corundum is considered sapphire. Countries of origin has sometimes been difficult to find agreement on due to the nature of light itself. Most however, are cut and polished for usage as gemstones.

MillionA record selling price for ruby was set at Christies in St. Another term used is habit, the form the gem is usually found . 4A factor in determining the value of the stone. They may have luminescence and a distinctive absorption spectrum. Material or flaws within a stone may be present as inclusions. There are many commonly used shapes for faceted stones. Is committed to providing you the highest quality of technical support. This recordbreaking gemstone was termed the desired quotpigeons bloodquot red used for highly sought rubies from Burma.

Providing another opportunity for celebrities to parade their fashion credentials. Wersquore not talking identity theft here, but rather identifying elements of style to adapt to your own. Precious Stones considered in their scientific and artistic relations. People watching, by far, is the best form of fashion research for style mavens looking to remain fresh and innovative. Diamonds for example are made of carbon C and rubies of aluminium oxide Al2O. Gem labs need time to study them. First, what is it made of, or its chemical composition. However, true synthetic gemstones are not necessarily imitation. Next, many gems are crystals which are classified by crystal system such as cubic or trigonal or monoclinic.