Choosing a stone should never feel like choosing blindly. Moissanite, laboratory-grown diamonds and natural diamonds each offer a legitimate balance of brilliance, origin, rarity and value when they are identified honestly.
D-Color VVS Moissanite
Moissanite is a distinct laboratory-created gemstone composed of silicon carbide. It is not a diamond. With a relative hardness of approximately 9.25 on the Mohs scale, it is valued for durability, exceptional brilliance and pronounced fire. It offers maximum visual impact at the most accessible price point among these three options.
Laboratory-Grown Diamonds
A laboratory-grown diamond is crystallized carbon grown in a controlled environment. It is a diamond and has a Mohs hardness of 10. Advanced screening can distinguish laboratory-grown origin from natural origin. Customers often choose it for diamond composition with greater size or quality accessibility.
Natural Diamonds
A natural diamond is crystallized carbon formed within the Earth. It also has a Mohs hardness of 10 and the classic visual character associated with diamond. Customers may choose natural diamonds for Earth-formed origin, rarity and traditional significance.
What a Handheld Tester Can—and Cannot—Tell You
Traditional thermal-conductivity testers were primarily designed to separate diamond from materials such as cubic zirconia. Moissanite can register as diamond on some conventional thermal testers because of its thermal properties. That result does not make moissanite a diamond.
Laboratory-grown and natural diamonds generally register as diamond because both are diamonds. Advanced gemological instruments can identify moissanite and can distinguish laboratory-grown from natural origin. A handheld reading is not a substitute for certification or advanced gemological analysis.
Choose by Priority
- Choose moissanite for exceptional fire, durability and accessible visual impact.
- Choose laboratory-grown diamond for diamond composition and greater size or quality accessibility.
- Choose natural diamond for natural origin, rarity and traditional significance.
Read the full Understanding Your Stone Options comparison, including documentation standards and a detailed chart.