Beautiful, long-lasting and extremely durable, moissanite is a gemstone that is rapidly rising in popularity. With the same lifetime guarantee as a diamond to maintain its fire and brilliance but at the fraction of the cost, it is no wonder why so many couples are choosing moissanite for their engagement ring stone. But how much is a moissanite stone actually worth? Read on to find out!
What’s All the Fuss About Moissanite?
Moissanite is a beautiful, extra sparkly stone that is swiftly gaining recognition in Australia for its incredible similarities to a diamond.
Moissanite is a beautiful, extra sparkly stone that is swiftly gaining recognition in Australia for its incredible similarities to a diamond. With a 9.25-9.5 hardness rating on the Moh’s hardness scale, moissanite is the second-hardest gemstone in existence, second only to a diamond. This means a moissanite stone is incredibly stable, highly resistant to scratches and able to survive a lifetime of daily wear without ever losing its sparkle. Increasing the allure of this beautiful gemstone is its ethical origins and affordable price tag.
As a lab created stone, moissanite costs a fraction of the price of a diamond with the same properties. Despite the attractive price tag, it’s understandable if you’re hesitant to rush into purchasing a moissanite engagement ring – it almost sounds too good to be true! If you’re wondering whether moissanite is worth buying, I’d highly recommend checking out our recent article here. Otherwise, let’s jump into how much this stunning diamond alternative actually costs!
How Much Does Moissanite Cost?
How much a moissanite costs is dependent upon a number of factors. Similar to diamond pricing, moissanite is priced according to its size, colour, cut and clarity grading.
Colour Grading (Scale)
Like with diamonds, moissanite stones can vary in the amount of colour that they exhibit. Some may display yellow, grey or green tones while high-quality moissanite will be near-colourless and beautifully clear. Every moissanite stone is evaluated and graded according to the following grading scale:
Grade D, E and F – colourless
Grade G, H and I – near colourless
Grade J and K – displays tones of colour
Like with a diamond colour grading system, the less colour a moissanite displays, the higher the grade and the more expensive the stone. At Cullen Jewellery, we exclusively supply colourless moissanite, graded as “DEF”.
Cut Grading
The cut of a moissanite stone refers to how the proportion, polish and symmetry is balanced to optimise the stone’s light performance. When moissanite is cut to a specific shape, there is an ideal way to do it in order to maximise the stone’s ability to reflect and refract light. Rated from Fair, Good, Very Good to Ideal, all of our moissanite has an Ideal cut.
Clarity Grading
Clarity relates to how clear a gemstone is and measures how many surface blemishes or internal inclusions are present. As a lab created stone, the clarity of moissanite can be carefully controlled to ensure the highest quality gemstone is created. Moissanite clarity is graded according to the following scale:
FL-IF: Flawless to internally flawless
VVS1-VVS2: Very very slight inclusions
VS1-VS2: Very slight inclusions
SI1-SI2: Slightly included
Carat Weight/Size
Since moissanite weighs a little less than a diamond of the same size, moissanite is measured in millimeters rather than carat weight. When compared to a diamond of the same size, moissanite may measure differently in weight but it will measure close to or the same in diameter.
Cost Comparisons
Okay, so now you know what the pricing is actually based on, let’s look at how much a moissanite stone actually costs – and how it compares to a both a natural and lab created diamond of approximately the same quality and size!
| Carat Size | Natural Diamond (AUD) Round, DEF-colour, | Lab Grown Diamond (AUD) Round, DEF-colour, | Lab created Moissanite (AUD) Round, DEF-colour, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 | $8,900 | $3,000 | $595 |
| 1.25 | $13,000 | $4,300 | $725 |
| 1.50 | $19,000 | $6,600 | $900 |
| 2.00 | $35,100 | $13,000 | $1,220 |
| 2.25 | $48,000 | $16,000 | $1,520 |
| 2.65 | $65,600 | $21,000 | $1,790 |
| 3.10 | $94,300 | $26,000 | $2,095 |
| 3.65 | $111,500 | $40,000 | $2,400 |
| 4.25 | $149,300 | $51,000 | $2,970 |
| 4.85 | $393,000 | $76,000 | $3,290 |
As you can see, depending on the stone’s carat size and distinct specifications, you can expect to make significant savings by purchasing a moissanite over a natural diamond. Though more expensive than moissanite, lab created diamonds are a perfect alternative if you’d still like to have a diamond ring but can’t afford the extravagant pricing of natural diamonds. If you’re interested in purchasing a lab created diamond, feel free to get in touch with us today!
Conclusion
Are you looking to buy an exquisite moissanite or lab-diamond engagement ring? With Cullen Jewellery you can be assured that your stone will be of the highest quality, fully traceable and guaranteed to last a lifetime. Talk to us today about creating the ring of your dreams!