Moissanite has gained popularity in recent years because of its diamond-like appearance. Even experts find it difficult to distinguish between a moissanite and a diamond. Both stones are colorless, transparent, very brilliant, and incredibly durable, making them ideal gems for timeless jewelry, such as engagement rings. But which one is brighter and has more fire? In this Planderful post, we will tell you about the brilliance and fire properties of moissanite versus diamond.
Source: https://lioridiamonds.com/blogs/news/moissanite-vs-lab-diamonds
Brilliance, fire, and sparkle: fundamental properties of gemstones
- Brilliance
The brilliance of a gemstone comes from two other qualities: brilliance and contrast. Brilliance is the ability of a diamond to return light to an observer. Brilliance is generated because the gem captures light from anywhere in a room and appears as if the light is coming from within. Contrast is how the facets respond against the brilliance and so the facets stand out against each other.
The brightness brings everything together. The contrast of the dark and light facets enhances the brilliance, showing the light and making the stone sparkle. The brilliance and contrast are very important, but the way it is cut is important for the facets to work together and is what creates that brilliance.
- Fire
Capturing fire is one of the biggest challenges for a gem cutter. The perfect cut can bring an incredible variety of colors into the heart of a gemstone, but this quality is very difficult to achieve.
Fire is a prism effect, where light enters the gemstones, and splits into a rainbow of colors. Fire in a brilliant is not going to happen in brightly lit areas, so we are not likely to see it in a jewelry store. It requires less, more atmospheric light is ideal, and so at the angles of the facets will scatter red, yellow, green, blue, and more.
Fire is harder to find than brilliance in a cut gem, but when you have it, it is pure magic and a wonderful thing.
- Scintillation
Carefully holding a gemstone and studying the way it reflects light will tell you a lot about the cut. But if you want to know about the stone's scintillation, you have to move it.
Scintillation is when a gemstone casts flashes of light as it moves. As a gem moves while in the hand, it catches the light in all its facets; some reflect white, others reflect colors, and how these reflections interact is what makes a gem come alive. All these qualities in a brilliant, make people stare at it from across a room. Its sparkles, fires, and sparkles, in essence, are what make a gemstone unique and different.
Source: https://blog.javda.com/what-is-diamond-scintillation/
What are the differences between moissanite and diamond?
It is not easy to tell the difference between moissanite and diamond. The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) once claimed that moissanite is the most diamond-like stone in general appearance and weight, more similar even than imitation diamonds. One way to differentiate moissanite from diamond is by analysis of luster and fire. Below we will tell you which has more brilliance and more fire.
You may also be interested in: Is Moissanite Better than Diamond?
Moissanite's brilliance and fire, the most brilliant gemstone?
Brilliance, due to its high refractive nature, with an ability to reflect white light better than diamond, and moissanite eclipses diamonds in its brilliance and refraction.
The glow of moissanite is generated by a phenomenon that is known as dispersion. This means that the stone reacts like a prism when light shines on it or through it. When light hits the stone, it scatters causing different spectral colors to emerge, as it emits rainbow-colored flashes each time it is hit by direct sunlight. Moissanite always keeps its luster over time because of its refractive index and hardness. Similar to diamonds, moissanite will not tarnish over time.
While diamonds are a bit harder, moissanite has more fire and brilliance. Moissanite has a BRI (brilliance refractive index) score of approximately 2.65 - 2.69, diamonds have a BRI (refractive index) score of 2.42. The refractive index is the stone's ability to deflect light. The moissanite fire has a rating of 0.104, and the fire of a diamond has a rating of 0.044. This means that the moissanite will generate more flashes of rainbow light.
In short, moissanite has more brilliance and fire than diamond. Although this is not as noticeable in smaller stones, the difference is noticeable in stones larger than 5mm. Moissanite is known for its "disco-ball" effect as it emits rainbow-colored sparkles whenever it is hit by direct sunlight. However, observing the brilliance and fire of a gemstone does not always work to differentiate a moissanite from a diamond. The cut of the diamond is critical. A diamond with a round or brilliant cut will also have a lot of brilliance.
The cut of a diamond is the most influential factor in brilliance. If you want to learn more, we recommend the following article: Why a Diamond's Cut is So Important
Source: https://www.moimoi.com.au/can-you-tell-a-moissanite-from-a-diamond/
Which is better, moissanite or diamond?
Moissanite is very similar to diamond, both are formed from carbon bonds, which gives them their similar strength/hardness. Moissanite has characteristics that outshine diamonds, such as luster. This is why some people prefer moissanite for its fire and brilliance, emitting more flashes of rainbow light than diamond. Others prefer the imperfect nature of the diamond and thus evoke tradition, beauty, and quality, plus the added security of hardness.
The price of moissanite is lower compared to diamonds because they are produced in laboratories as moissanite is scarce and can rarely be found in its natural state. Lab-grown gems are more ethical and environmentally friendly. It is difficult to distinguish between one and the other, but indeed, there are ways to differentiate between these two stones.
Now that you know all about the brilliance and fire of moissanite and diamond, we invite you to visit the Planderful website and discover our moissanite jewelry collection.
