Whether your heart is already set on moissanite or you’re still figuring out whether moissanite is the stone for you, which moissanite is closest to a diamond is quite a common question. Moissanite is undoubtedly a beautiful and precious gem of its own, and many people fall in love with these extra sparkly, affordable, environmentally conscious stones. However, we do understand that you may desire for your ring to look as close as possible to your friends’ diamond engagement rings, so we are here to help!
A good way to start is to explain that for most people, telling the difference between moissanite and diamond is quite hard, and unless they are comparable sizes placed side by side, you won’t see a remarkable difference. However, there are small choices you can make in terms of shape, cut and size which can make your moissanite look even closer to a diamond.
The shape of your stone
Due to the fact that diamonds can have endless variations in characteristics and quality, it can really be said that any high-quality moissanite may look like any particular diamond if their specifications match. However, some shapes do tend to look closer than others.
Round
Of all shapes, round cut moissanite most closely resembles a diamond. Round cut stones have very specific facets and proportions, and round moissanite has been able to be cut in a way that causes light to interact with it in almost exactly the same way it does with diamond. This means that a round moissanite next to a round diamond will be very hard to differentiate, and is your best option for a diamond-like moissanite.
Princess
Sometimes referred to as a square modified brilliant, princess cut moissanite are a modern variant of the traditional round brilliant cut. Princess cuts are second only to round cuts in terms of their level of brilliance and optimal use of light, showing an angular, X-like pattern when looked at from the crown. Princess moissanite have also been able to be cut using a relatively standard faceting pattern to closely resemble the overall look of a princess diamond.
Step Cuts
(ASSCHER AND EMERALD)
These two cuts are distinct due to their step cut style. Due to their very straight facets of uniform rectangles and triangles, these cuts are quite subtle in their sparkle. This means that a step cut moissanite won’t display much more brilliance and sparkle than a diamond of the same shape, unlike what you may find in other cuts. At times, these cuts can lack a bit of depth compared to diamonds of the same shape, clarity and colour. However, given that our moissanite is all of VVS1-2 clarity and DEF colour, and any diamond of the same specifications will be very rare and cost tens of thousands of dollars, they are an extremely beautiful and affordable option if a step cut stone has captured your heart.
Elongated Cuts
(OVAL, PEAR, RADIANT, CUSHION)
To explain the characteristics of elongated cut gemstones, it’s helpful to understand how light interacts with them and what the crushed ice cut is.
When light interacts with a gemstone, it enters the stone before bouncing off facets and exiting back to your eyes. In elongated cuts, diamonds will often portray a more irregular, scattered type of sparkling pattern, due to the lower refractive index of diamond causing it to lose some light. In contrast, moissanite can still achieve the regular and symmetrical brilliant cut type of faceting pattern that is seen in round stones, due to its higher refractive index. Something which is gaining popularity, however, is the moissanite crushed ice cut. This is a moissanite stone which has been cut with different facets in order to break up the symmetrical faceting pattern and cause that scattered, irregular sparkle often seen in elongated diamond shapes.
In general, brilliant elongated moissanite, although gorgeous in their own right, can look more distinguishable from a diamond, because they are able to keep that brilliant faceting pattern not seen in equivalent diamond shapes. Elongated moissanite with the crushed ice cut, however, break up the light into the scattered sparkle that you see in elongated diamonds, and thus look remarkably similar to a diamond -making them a great option for a diamond-like moissanite.
Does size affect a moissanite looking like a diamond?
To a certain extent, yes. Again, these are differences that aren’t overly noticeable or will detract from its beauty. However, as with diamond, the larger a moissanite stone, the more light will enter it, and therefore the more brilliance and fire it will display. Moissanite has a higher refractive index than diamond, which means that it will exhibit a slightly higher level of brilliance, sparkle and fire than a diamond will. This difference does become more noticeable the larger the stone gets, and it will show slightly more of that colourful disco ball type pattern.
In addition, when a moissanite increases in size, its price goes up in a relatively straightforward and linear manner, meaning a 2ct stone will cost approximately twice the price of a 1ct stone. Diamonds, however, increase in price exponentially, meaning a 2ct stone could between 3-5 times the price of a 1ct stone. Therefore, although we think you should be proud to wear an absolutely stunning 4ct moissanite ring, if wanting to be similar to those around you is what you’re after, this may not be the best option, as a diamond equivalent could cost up to $100,000 AUD or even more!
If you still want to make a statement with your ring, while keeping a subtle sparkle, one alternative method is to include a halo around your centre stone!
What do you think?
We believe the most important thing is that you love the look of your ring, regardless of the type of stone. Many people love moissanite’s extra sparkle and the fact that they can get a large stone for a fraction of the price of a diamond. However, we definitely understand that you may want a stone that looks as close to a diamond as possible, and there are definitely options available to make that happen.
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