Moissanite Testing

is it a diamond or moissanite?

© Dennis Shea; all rights reserved

Moissanite is the only stone to fool diamond testers because of its similar physical properties. Here are some facts on how it compares to diamond:

Moissanite has a hardness of 9.25, which is second to diamond. It will always weigh a little less than a diamond of the same size, but will have more brilliance (sparkle). Most moissanite ranges from nearly colorless to shades of light green; medium and dark green are also available.

How can you find out if your stone might be moissanite? There are only three methods of distinguishing it from diamond:

1. check with a moissanite tester

2. determine if doubling of facet junctions is visible through magnification

3. look for needle-like or micro-pipe type inclusions that are only visible through magnification.

There are lots of moissanite testers on the market that do a great job of letting you know whether the stone is a diamond. One tip for using a tester is to check multiple places on the same stone.

Although trained diamond graders will most likely see that something doesn't look right when looking into a moissanite stone, it has been known to get by some professionals.

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