The Unique Properties of Moissanite

Moissanite created by Charles & Colvard has very unique physical properties that truly make it unlike any jewel ever seen.

It is generally accepted that the most important characteristics of a jewel are its beauty, durability and rarity.

The table below compares the physical properties of Charles & Colvard created Moissanite and four of the most popular natural jewels.

Comparison
Chart

Beauty

Durability

Brilliance
Refractive
Index (RI)

Fire
Dispersion

Luster
Reflection

Hardness
Moh's

Toughness

Specific
Gravity

Moissanite

2.65 - 2.69

0.104

20.4%

9.25

excellent

3.21

Diamond

2.42

0.044

17.2%

10.0

excellent*

3.52

Ruby

1.77

0.018

7.4%

9.0

excellent**

4.00

Sapphire

1.77

0.018

7.4%

9.0

excellent**

4.00

Emerald

1.58

0.014

4.8%

7.5

good/poor

2.72

For information about Refractive Index (RI) and Dispersion please click here:
Refractive Index           Dispersion

Beauty
 

The beauty of a jewel is determined by its color, brilliance, "fire" and luster.
 

Brilliance
 

The brilliance of a jewel is created by cutting designs that use the jewel's refractive index and is measured by the amount of light that enters the jewel and is reflected back to the viewer.
 

Fire
 

The dispersion of a jewel combined with the cutting design results in the "fire," or the breaking of light rays into the spectrum of colors and is measured by the amount of colored flashes viewed when the jewel is moved in various lighting conditions.
 

Luster
 

Durability
 

Moissanite created by Charles & Colvard, at 9.25 Mohs hardness, is second in hardness only to diamond and incredibly tough. During the development of created Moissanite jewels, extensive real-world wear tests were performed by women in a variety of professions, from bankteller to dog groomer to office worker. These wear tests confirmed that Moissanite jewels out-perform most jewels in terms of durability.
 

Heat
Resistance
 

As the exclusive worldwide manufacturer and marketer of created Moissanite jewels, Charles & Colvard reports that Moissanite is extroadinarily heat resistant. As a matter of fact, tests prove that at 2000º F, the equivalent intensity of a house fire, Moissanite remains intact and as brilliant as the day it was created.

Moissanite created by Charles & Colvard has heat resistance properties superior to many other jewels, offering the following distinct advantages for using Moissanite in fine jewelry.
 

•

•

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Moissanite jewels can be cast in place, allowing the jewelry designer to offer innovative, exact-fit designs.
Moissanite jewels are less likely to experience heat damage during jewelry repair operations.
Moissanite jewels can survive the extreme temperatures found in typical house fires.
 

Rarity
 

Moissanite created by Charles & Colvard is by far the rarest jewel on earth.

Naturally occurring quantities of Moissanite are so minute, they are not suitable for use in jewelry. After a century of research, only one company in the world is capable of growing Moissanite crystals suitable for use as a precious jewel. Still the process is so complex, that it is as much an art as a science.

Charles & Colvard, Ltd. uses our own uncommon combination of art and science to turn these rare jewel-quality crystals into a very limited quantity of created Moissanite jewels.

The chart below shows the number of carats of created Moissanite produced in 1999 in comparison to the millions of carats of the other four precious jewels imported into the United States.

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