Moissanite

1. Origin
2. The mysterious nature of the mineral
3. Moissanite vs. Diamond
4. In the hands of a jeweler
5. Authentication
6. A little bit of magic

It is surprising that this gem still has not received decent fame in wide circles, despite the fact that its discovery took place about a century ago and jewelers have already given him his due, putting in one row with diamond .

Origin

The fate of moissanite is romantic: it is a fragment of the "fallen star", broken on the earth's firmament in immemorial times. Many thousands of years later, at the end of the 19th century, the French chemist Henri Moissan, studying the remains of this meteorite, found samples of a previously unknown mineral.

Strictly speaking, moissanite stone cannot be called exclusively extraterrestrial matter, although for a long time this was exactly what was considered. However, later the smallest blotches of this substance were found in diamonds. However, nothing larger than microscopic particles was found; the main reserves of moissanite arrived on our planet along with meteorites. So natural moissanite is an incredible rarity. But in outer space, this substance is quite common, mainly it is found in the composition of dusty carbon formations.

The mysterious nature of the mineral

Scientists had to spend a lot of effort to understand the nature of this stone and get the opportunity to create artificial moissanite. What is it, is it a kind of diamond? Such a question was asked by its first researchers. In fact, these two stones are practically indistinguishable in appearance and have similar crystal lattices. But, as it turned out later, there is no relationship between them: unlike diamond, the cosmic guest does not have a carbon base, but is silicon carbide.

The first synthetic analogue, the so-called carborundum, was produced by Edward Acheson, who not only developed the technology, but also designed a special furnace to convert the silicon base into a shining crystal.

After this achievement, jewelers were worried, because it is not visually impossible to distinguish a genuine diamond from moissanite. Moreover, the stone passes the standard thermal tests, as if it is a real diamond. Specifically, to distinguish between these two minerals, it was necessary to develop new diagnostic methods.

Moissanite vs. Diamond

The description of moissanite as the most beautiful of precious stones, whose characteristics are superior to those of a diamond, is not without reason.

• Large refractive power, due to which carborund literally overshadows diamonds with its brilliance - it shines a quarter times brighter.
• His dispersion is twice as high, which means a more intense "play of light." Visually, this manifests itself in the form of multi-colored reflections, iridescent shades in the depths of the crystal. Due to the high level of dispersion, these reflections of moissanite are brighter than those of its noble rival, and their tone is darker and deeper.
• Synthetic moissanite has impeccable "purity" due to the fact that it is produced in the laboratory, and not mined in nature, like a diamond, which eliminates the ingress of foreign particles. The quality of its brilliance and the play of light on the faces depends on the degree of purity of the stone.
• When cutting diamond, they can intentionally tolerate errors of geometric symmetry in order to preserve a larger volume of stone. While artificially grown moissanite does not need such tricks and its faceting is always perfect.
• The surface of moissanite has the ability to repel fat. If you touch the diamond with your fingers, there will be traces on it, due to which its luster will fade. The space crystal in a similar situation will continue to shine as if nothing had happened.

In the hands of a jeweler

These precious pieces of meteorites are too small to be used to create jewelery. In addition, the total volume of material found on Earth is extremely small. Therefore, only synthetic analog is used in all jewelry. At the moment, the only company in the world that produces carborundum is Charles & Colvard.

Making a large enough copy without flaws is not easy. Moissanite synthesis is a high-tech, expensive process, so the price for a stone is also high. However, the cost of moissanite is significantly less than that of a diamond of comparable size.

Artificial moissanites are colored. The palette offered by the manufacturer repeats those colors that are found in rare diamonds. Yellow and black moissanite will cost the least, and the most expensive ones are colorless specimens. The higher price for them is due to the laboriousness of the process of bleaching the stone, which initially gets a saturated green tint during production. But it is precisely such crystals, transparent and pure, that are most in demand because they can be replaced with diamonds. Moissanite, unlike other imitations, will not be able to be exposed with the naked eye, unless a specialist marks an unusually bright flickering of a stone. However, it is enough to plant carborundum deeper into the rim to reduce the sharpness of its brilliance.

In most cases, when jewelry processing crystal is given a round shape. It is believed that such a cut most successfully reveals the potential of the stone. Moissanite is perfect to cap the ring, replacing the classic round diamond.

In addition to the dazzling in the literal sense of the word beauty, the crystal attracts connoisseurs with its durability - its index is even greater than that of diamond. At the same time, the moissanite hardness is somewhat lower. Amazing moissanite stones turned out to be easier to cut, but less prone to wear. This is another reason for using carborundum for the rings - the stone that decorates the hands is more at risk of damage. Moissanite will not suffer even in a fire - it will give odds to the diamond and in resistance to high temperatures. The mineral is able to withstand temperatures of about 1500 degrees Celsius. Decoration with him will last a long time.

Authentication

In order not to purchase moissanite at the price of a diamond, it is worth asking for an assessment from an outside gemologist who has already dealt with this mineral. Even a connoisseur of stones without special equipment will be difficult to expose the deception.

When buying, pay attention:

• If inside the crystal is markedly split faces. This illusion is inherent in some of the moissanites and never in diamonds. But the absence of such an optical effect does not guarantee authenticity.
• If the polishing lines on the edges are directed in the same direction, and do not go in different directions, as should be a diamond.
• If, when palpating the mineral with bare hands, there are no unclear traces on its surface, hiding its brilliance.
• If it is possible to measure the electrical conductivity of a stone, this will allow determining its appearance with sufficient accuracy. Brilliant - dielectric, moissanite - conductor. But in some cases, the test may fail, because not all samples conduct electricity at the same level. In addition, a black diamond is also a conductor due to its high concentration of graphite.
• You can calculate the density of the stone. If it is 3.18-3.22, then the sample refers to moissanites, if 3.51 to diamonds. For this you need to know the exact weight and size of the stone.
• Although the thermal stability of moissanite is very high, from heating it turns green. It is worth trying to hold the alleged diamond in the fire lighter.
• If you have a tool with a diamond tip, you can try to scratch the stone - moissanite is inferior to diamond in hardness.

Sometimes for moissanite issue fianit , but it is much easier to distinguish them. One needs to consider the facets of a crystal in a magnifying glass. In a noble mineral, they should be sharp, clear, in cubic zirconia their line will be softer, rounded. The smallest cracks and scratches on the surface clearly indicate the fianit that has been in use. The edges of such a stone will most likely look “crushed”, since its hardness is low.

A little bit of magic

Such a unique, unusual and “viable” stone could not remain unnoticed in the area of ​​esotericism. The fact that moissanite is an artificial mineral, according to mystics, does not detract from its strength, because it reproduces exactly the structure of its cosmic original and consists of natural substances.

The stone operates in two directions:

• enhances the emotional stability of its owner - gives a sense of security, helps to cope with anxiety, supports strength of mind and self-confidence, which allows a person to use his potential to the full,
• actualizes cognitive functions - helps to concentrate on the goal, has a positive effect on memory and thinking, helps establish clarity and orderliness in the mind.

You can wear it, regardless of the sign of the zodiac, especially useful for representatives of the elements of Fire and Air.