Comparing Diamond, Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia

We have tabled below some information regarding Moissanite, diamond and Cubic Zirconia (marketed as diamond simulants).

We had never compared Moissanite with CZ before, simply because we feel that Moissanite is a better jewel than any on the market including diamond. However, recently we have had many customers coming in to get their CZ stones replaced by our Moissanite stones.

Most of these customers were duped into buying something that they did not know they were buying, some of these customers were in tears when they realised they had purchased CZ without knowing it.

We hope this information will help you have a better understanding of stones, and to choose correctly.


  Diamond
Diamond Simulant or CZ
 		Moissanite
 Notes
Composition
Carbon
Zirconium Oxide
 Silicon Carbide
These are three distinct materials.

In terms of beauty of a jewel, Moissanite has more brilliance, lustre and fire than any jewel including diamond.
Price (approx)
 $7000 per carat  $5 per carat 
$500 per carat  Moissanite sits in the middle in terms of price, but is superior in its beauty, brilliance and fire.

Moissanite offers the best value. 
Hardness on Mohs scale
10 7 - 8.2
 9.25 Diamond is the hardest jewel followed by Moissanite.

Moissanite is most durable and has the highest melting point. 
Source
Mined  Mass produced   Lab-created by one source (Charles & Colvard) from the natural mineral Moissanite also occurs naturally and in its natural form, it is too rare to use in jewellery.
Brilliance
Brilliant forever   Brilliant when new but it gets cloudy over time
Brilliant forever  CZ is porous and sticks to dirt and cosmetics and it gets cloudy, a process which is irreversible.

The brilliance of Moissanite is guaranteed and when set in jewellery is of heirloom quality that will last for generations.
Longevity
 Forever Disposable 
Forever  Moissanite and diamond jewellery are suitable for bridal.
Refractive index
2.42
2.17 2.56 Moissanite has more brilliance than a fine cut diamond.   
Product positioning
 Diamond is forever  Marketed and promoted as a diamond simulant using a variety of brand names to confuse consumers. Sold as a unique jewel of unmatched brilliance.
Some deceitful CZ retailers choose to mislead consumers by saying that they are diamond simulants, or zirconium oxide, instead of disclosing that they are selling CZ. Watch out for these retailers. 
Appearance
Like a diamond
 Glass-like and transparent. Dull after sometime.   Like a diamond
It is extremely hard to tell the difference between a diamond and Moissanite. It is much easier to tell a CZ apart from the others. CZ is glass-like and transparent. You can almost see right through a CZ. When CZ is placed over newsprint, you can see right through it.