Is Moissanite Tacky? | What Friends & Family May Think About It

by Dave Greene | | Moissanite

Engagement rings and wedding rings should be special and durable. You want something your partner can be proud of, so as you initially learn about Moissanite, it’s natural to wonder if it might be considered cheap or tacky.

Is Moissanite Tacky? No, despite what well-paid diamond marketing firms work hard to make you believe, there’s nothing Tacky, or shameful, about giving a beautiful Moissanite engagement or wedding ring. Moissanite looks very similar to diamond. It’s incredibly durable, and yet significantly less expensive.

In the paragraphs that follow, we’ll give you all the information you’ll need in order to decide if Moissanite is the right choice for your special ring.

What is Moissanite?

Moissanite (which is sometimes referred to as ‘Moissy’ in casual conversation) is an ultra-rare naturally occurring stone that was first discovered in 1893 as a scientist combed the impact site of a meteorite in an Arizona desert. The fragments that were found there were originally misidentified as Diamond. Years passed before the French scientist that made the discovery realized that they weren’t diamonds, but something else—something new. Moissanite was eventually named after the French scientist (Henri Moissan) that discovered it.

Naturally occurring Moissanite is far rarer than Diamonds. Diamonds are mined in countries around the globe. The illusion of scarcity supports high prices, which both create a sense of exclusivity that’s a critical part of the industry’s marketing strategy. Diamonds certainly are difficult to extract from the earth, but they aren’t nearly as rare as we’re led to believe through carefully controlled supply channels.

There are no Moissanite mines where large quantities of the stone are extracted from the earth. It’s most commonly found at meteorite impact sites even today, though tiny fragments of Moissanite are also infrequently found in a few other locations as well. Natural Moissanite is always found in tiny pieces that are far too small for jewelry. It’s often broken up as the meteorite which it was part of makes impact with the earth. Because of this, all Moissanite used for jewelry is recreated in a lab.

Moissanite is incredibly hard, so it was originally utilized as an industrial abrasive agent because diamonds and other gems that might serve a similar purpose were far too expensive. Moissanite’s natural hardness makes it a durable choice for jewelry that can withstand the abuse of daily wear.

Moissanite naturally looks almost identical to diamond, but that doesn’t make it a ‘fake diamond’ any more than having a strong natural resemblance to Julia Roberts makes you a fake Julia Roberts. Moissanite is an amazing stone on it’s own merits, and can be a wonderful choice for a wedding or engagement ring!

Does Moissanite Look Strange or Stand Out?

Most Moissanite owners would tell you that their ring stands out in a positive way. Moissanite really sparkles, which catches the eye! I’ve heard many Moissanite owners comment that they’re constantly getting compliments on their Moissanite ring. They sometimes add that they never got so many nice comments about the diamond rings they wore in the past.

Moissanite is typically a clear stone, like diamond (though fancy colored options do exist), so it certainly doesn’t look strange or stand out in a negative sense.

How Common are Moissanite Rings?

Moissanite has become much more commonly used over the past ten years or so. Internet search data shows that it’s searched more than many alternatives like Lab Diamonds, Morganite, White Sapphire, and Cubic Zirconia for use in rings. You may have seen many Moissanite rings without even realizing it. Most often, people that aren’t professionals in the industry see a Moissanite ring and assume it’s a diamond ring. Even professionals might have a hard time identifying a Moissanite ring without a closer inspection, and perhaps testing equipment, in many cases.

The use of Moissanite rings is growing rapidly, so If you ultimately decide to go with Moissanite, you’ll certainly be in good company!

What’s Most Important to You and Your Partner?

Our tastes and preferences are constantly being shaped by marketing companies that shape our opinions through ads and product placements. It’s a subtle process. We aren’t even conscious of the fact that we’re being manipulated to associate certain ideas and feelings with a particular product. These campaigns aren’t a guessing game or gamble for the diamond industry. It’s an investment, and the marketing firms they hire are masters at programming our biases and impressions to desire their product and to think of all others as a poor personal reflection on us. Too often, we bite and accept the meanings and associates they carefully feed to us.

Did you know that Americans haven’t always given diamonds when they got engaged or married? Prior to the 1930s, other gems were far more common. It was only through heavy marketing campaigns that the tide began turning, and people began associating Diamonds with engagement, marriage, and love. An expectation of a diamond was created over time, but that didn’t happen organically—it was programmed into us by the industry that would directly profit from the shift. They caused us to feel a sense of failure if the diamond wasn’t big enough. They caused us to question if it was real love at all if a diamond wasn’t presented. It’s all nonsense in reality, but many still buy into the conditioning that we’ve received through marketing.

When you choose Moissanite, you get a ring that looks almost identical to a diamond. You also get a stone that’s harder than all gems and stones other than diamonds. Moissanite rings are durable, so they can be worn daily and don’t need to be babied like softer stones. When you choose Moissanite, you save significant money, because the supply of Moissanite isn’t centralized and manipulated. You’ll typically save 85% over the cost of purchasing a similar-sized diamond! That means thousands of dollars in savings that you can apply to paying down debt, a better honeymoon, a down payment on a home, etc.

So what’s most important—having a durable and equally beautiful stone that you save thousands of dollars on or maintaining a self-serving tradition that the diamond industry created in order to build demand and support exorbitant prices?

How Durable Is Moissanite

The Mohs Scale of hardness is a comparative scale that essentially ranks materials in order of hardness. It’s ‘comparative’ because it doesn’t measure their hardness as much as it shows us, numerically, which stones are harder than specific types of other stones. From the scale, we learn that Talc has the lowest possible rating at just 1. Diamond (the hardest known rock) is on the other end of the scale, with a hardness of 10. All other rocks fall somewhere in between those two points. The Mohs Scale rates Moissanite between 9.25 and 9.5. That tells us that it’s not as hard as diamond, but it’s still really hard (even harder than sapphires).

That hardness means that Moissanite is scratch-resistant. Most of the light bumps and scrapes that might scare a Cubic Zirconia or topaz won’t blemish a Moissanite. This means that, unlike many diamond alternatives, Moissanite can stand up to the harsh conditions of daily wear without quickly wearing out.

Does Moissanite get cloudy over time?

The passing of time won’t cause Moissanite to get cloudy, however, it can accumulate build-up from things like soaps and lotions that can begin to block some sparkle. If that happens, a simple cleaning should restore your ring’s full beauty. The good news is that Moissanite is so sparkly, that it can reflect light flashes through build-up that would leave most other stones looking completely dull and lifeless! That means that cleaning requirements are far more relaxed for Moissy than it often is for other types of rings.

How Much Does Moissanite Cost?

The cost of Moissanite will vary, depending on who you’re shopping with, but the equivalent of a 1 carat stone (7mm) typically costs around $300, while a diamond of comparable size would typically cost $3,000 to $5,000. Again, the potential savings are significant!

How Can People Tell Moissanite and Diamonds Apart?

In reality, your friends, family, and co-workers would have a hard time telling Moissanite and Diamond apart. A professional jeweler would have an easier time distinguishing the two stones, though they sometimes have to resort to high-tech devices for identification when appearances aren’t distinctive enough.

The quickest way to alert people to the fact that your Moissanite ring isn’t a diamond ring is to go too big with the stone that you choose. You could buy a 3-carat Moissanite stone for a minimal cost, but a 3-carat diamond would likely cost at least $30,000—something your friends, family, and co-workers might know you couldn’t possibly afford. Their immediate assumption with an unusually large stone is that it’s a diamond simulant of some kind (like Cubic Zirconia).

A one-carat diamond isn’t something that’s unusual for most rings, so if you stick to a Moissanite stone in that range, it’s much less likely that anyone would have reason to assume that it might not be a diamond that you’re wearing. Professionals frequently move the stone under light to observe the sparkles. Moissanite has more fire (light dispersion) than diamonds, which can be one way they distinguish Moissanite from diamonds. Fire presents itself as rainbow-colored sparkles of light that reflect back from the ring when exposed to light. Most of your friends would admire the way your Moissanite ring dances with sparkles, but they wouldn’t know that those sparkles are a little different from what they might observe in a comparable diamond.

Should You Let People Think Your Moissanite is a Diamond?

You should never mislead the person that you’re offering a ring to about what it’s made of. If you talk about what Moissanite is before you buy it, hopefully, you’ll get a read on how they feel about it. Like most people, they may be unfamiliar initially, but as they learn more, they may come to appreciate it for its beauty, incredible origins, and savings.

I personally feel that Moissanite is a pretty remarkable stone, and I’m not embarrassed at all for someone to know that the solitaire in my wife’s ring is made of Moissanite, not diamond. Having said that, I also don’t feel that I need to go around proactively telling everyone who sees my wife’s ring that the stone is Moissanite. If they ask, I’ll tell them. If they don’t ask, I probably won’t mention it either. You can handle this in whatever way feels best to you, but again, Moissanite is such an incredible stone, that it’s nothing you should feel ashamed to let others know about.

Moissanite Problems

There are a few issues that Moissanite owners sometimes experience. First, when they don’t remove their ring to apply hand sanitizers, lotions, sunscreen, etc, they sometimes experience some build-up on their ring that may dull its ability to sparkle until it’s properly cleaned.

The build-up of the oils and chemicals, mentioned above, can also create a rainbow stain that can be difficult to clean off for some people. The stain can be removed, but it’s sometimes challenging for those that are experiencing it for the first time.

The other issue that’s fairly common, is that Moissanite seems to temporarily take on a grey hue in certain lighting conditions. My wife has seen that happen when her hands are on the steering wheel and she’s driving under a grey cloudy sky. Her Moissanite ring simply reflects the color of the sky, but it looks at the time like it’s actually taken on a greyish tone. Once she gets to her destination and has different lighting in her environment, the ring looks normal again. This illusion makes Moissanite interesting, but it’s nothing lasting that should cause concern.

Moissanite Alternatives

If you need something less expensive than a traditional diamond, but ultimately decide against a Moissanite, for whatever reason, you may want to look into either buying a lab-grown diamond or a used diamond ring.

Lab grown, or man made, diamonds look exactly the same as mined diamonds and are equally durable, however, they cost much less. I wrote this article explaining more about the benefits and savings of lab grown diamonds.

You can save money on mined diamonds, and lab-grown diamonds, by buying them 2nd hand through Pawn Shops or sites that act as consignment agents. Specialized sites frequently have rings tested for authenticity and provide greater assurance that you’re getting what you think you’re buying. You can find one of my favorite second-hand retailers here. They also have a good selection of loose used diamonds that you can mount to your own band if you’d prefer that.

In Conclusion

A Moissanite ring will serve as a symbol of your love and commitment just as effectively as a diamond ring will. It comes down to which stone has the beauty, durability, and price that works best for you. Buying Moissy isn’t tacky or cheap, it’s smart. It’s frugal.

Related Posts:

Will Moissanite Last Forever? | Frugal Family Heirloom Rings

When Does Moissanite Look Fake? | The 3 Main Giveaways

Lab Created Diamond vs Moissanite | Look, Durability, & Cost

Is Moissanite Considered Fake? | 3 Reasons Some Say It Is

by Dave Greene | | Moissanite

Moissanite rings look very similar to diamond rings, but does that make them nothing more than diamond knockoffs?

Is Moissanite considered fake? Moissanite isn’t “fake.” It’s a real, naturally occurring, stone. Natural Moissanite is much rarer than Diamonds. Because of this, the Moissanite in all jewelry is lab-created. Moissanite looks very similar to diamond, but this doesn’t make Moissanite a fake diamond—or diamond a fake Moissanite.

Why do some people refer to Moissanite as fake? I’ll explain some of the more common reasons below.

Is Moissanite a Fake Diamond?

Diamonds peddlers (and sometimes those that paid way too much to purchase a diamond…and want to justify the decision) occasionally refer to Moissanite as fake (usually implying that it’s a ‘fake diamond’). The label “fake,” understandably, doesn’t sit well with many people that are shopping for a ring to mark an important occasion in their lives. Those that throw the term around recognize this, which is, of course, why they do it.

There are three very common reasons that critics of Moissanite often use to justify claims that it’s fake.

1. Moissanite is made to look like diamonds
2. Moissanite is a manufactured stone
3. It isn’t always presented as Moissanite

I’ll provide more context for each of these claims and address them in the paragraphs that follow.

Moissanite is Made to Look Like Diamonds

Again, Moissanite is a naturally occurring stone, but it’s rare—far more rare than diamonds. Moissanite was originally discovered in 1893 by French scientist Henri Moissan. Henri was investigating the site of a meteor impact in the deserts of Arizona. During his exploration of the area, he found some small crystal fragments that he believed to be diamond. It wasn’t until several years later that he discovered that they were something entirely different than diamond. The stone was eventually named in his honor.

Interesting, right? Moissanite naturally resembles diamond. The fact that the two look so similar is no reason to refer to Moissanite as a fake version of the other. In reality, they’re just two distinct stone types that have some level of commonality in terms of look and durability (yet they’re very distinctive in other areas).

In another article, I referred to Moissanite and Diamond as doppelgangers (two people that almost look like identical twins, but who aren’t related to each other).

Alligators and Crocodiles look almost indistinguishable to those that haven’t learned the physical characteristics that distinguish them. Just because the two reptiles have a lot in common and look fairly similar doesn’t mean that a Crocodile is a fake Alligators, or that an Alligator is a fake Crocodile.

This same scenario applies to Moissanite too. It does look similar to diamond, but that doesn’t make it fake. White Sapphire can also look similar to diamond, but here again, it’s a natural stone that happens to somewhat resemble diamond (the same way that alligators and crocodiles resemble each other without being identical).

Moissanite is a Manufactured Stone

I mentioned earlier that Moissanite is much rarer than Diamonds. We don’t find large deposits of Moissanite in pockets around the globe that we can continue mining for years (as we do with diamonds. In fact, Moissanite has primarily been found at the site of meteor impacts. The force of the impact typically ensures that only small fragments remain. In the extremely rare instance where naturally occurring Moissanite has been discovered on earth, it’s been found in very small sizes and quantities.

Because Moissanite is a fascinating, functional, and beautiful stone that’s so hard to find naturally, we’ve been creating it in labs for many years. We first started manufacturing it in 1903 so we could use the stone as an abrasive for manufacturing. Moissanite is incredibly hard and much less expensive than other alternatives at the time.

Today, many types of stones are created in labs around the globe. Diamond is another lab-created stone that’s growing in popularity today. The diamonds that are manufactured are made of carbon. They aren’t fake diamonds. They’re real diamonds (in every sense of the word), and have the exact same characteristics as diamonds that were formed in the earth.

As you can see, being lab created doesn’t make a given stone ‘fake.’ Moissanite wasn’t imagined and made up to look like diamonds—it’s a real stone with its own qualities, characteristics, and history.

It Isn’t Always Presented as Moissanite

Because Moissanite and Diamond look so similar, it’s definitely possible for someone to assume that the Moissanite ring you gave them is a diamond ring if you don’t inform them otherwise. Disclosure and honesty are especially important when you present a ring to someone you care about to mark a special moment in the relationship.

If you propose with a Moissanite ring, for example, you really SHOULD find an appropriate way to tell them. The fact that it’s a Moissanite ring doesn’t have to be said before opening the box, while you’re still on one knee, or before they answer your proposal, but you should be open and transparent with the information. Sooner is probably also better than later.

Please don’t get me wrong, this disclosure isn’t an apology. Moissanite is an interesting and impressive stone in its own right. There’s just no need to pretend that a Moissanite is anything other than what it is. Moissanite truly ISN’T a fake diamond. You can be open, honest, and proud of your ring for what it is.

While we’re on the subject of appropriate disclosures, I should mention that Moissanite isn’t intentionally sold by reputable jewelers as diamond—it’s sold as Moissanite. I say ‘intentionally’ just because it’s sometimes hard to tell the two apart without specific testing. I recently wrote an article describing the type of testing and instruments that can be used to distinguish diamonds from Moissanite.

It’s easier for dishonest people to take advantage of unsuspecting buyers on sites that connect private party buyers and sellers (online auction sites, for example). I would exercise real caution when purchasing ANY stone from an individual seller (even through online platforms that you’re familiar with) or online retailers that you’re unfamiliar with. The larger, more established, and more reputable a retailer is, the more certain you can be, that you’ll get what you paid for.

Yes, there may be some situations where Moissanite isn’t disclosed to be Moissanite. When that happens, people frequently believe the stone to be diamond. That clearly shouldn’t happen. When it does, it doesn’t mean that Moissanite is a ‘fake’ stone— it means that people are sometimes dishonest. Again, they may try doing the same thing with a stone like White Sapphire or a number of other similar stones.

How Does it Moissanite Compare to Diamond?

I’ve mentioned several times that Moissanite and Diamond have both common and distinctive characteristics. I thought it might be helpful to quickly highlight some of those issues so you can better understand the similarities and differences.

Moissanite vs Diamond: Hardness

Both Moissanite and Diamond are very hard stones, but they aren’t equally hard. Diamond rates at 10 (the highest score) on the Mohs Scale of Hardness, while Moissanite comes in at 9.25.

The numerical between those two seems small, but the actual difference in hardness is actually pretty significant. Diamond is much harder than Moissanite. That extreme hardness is both good and bad. On one hand, it means that diamonds are incredibly scratch resistant. On the other, it creates a major vulnerability that you’ll learn about in the next section.

Moissanite vs Diamond: Toughness

Hardness and toughness are not the same things. Hardness has to do with scratch resistance. Toughness essentially has to do with break resistance. The harder materials become, the more brittle they get. Diamonds are therefore very resistant to scratches, but also fairly susceptible to cracking or breaking.

My younger sister once had her diamond ring fall off a counter onto a tile floor. As she picked up the ring and examined it, she found that the stone had fractured all the way through.

Because Moissanite is less hard, it’s also less brittle. This makes Moissanite tougher than diamond (less likely to break as the result of an impact).

Moissanite vs Diamond: Durability

Hardness and toughness are both factors that play into durability. Because of that, it’s really hard to say whether diamond or Moissanite is the more durable stone overall. Fortunately, both stones are durable enough to be considered ‘forever’ stones, which means they are capable of being used as family heirlooms, that get passed down from generation-to-generation.

Moissanite vs Diamond: Sparkle

Moissanite is capable of displaying far more sparkle (particularly colorful sparkle—commonly referred to as ‘fire’) than diamond can. This is one of those characteristics that is naturally different between the two stones. Some absolutely LOVE all the additional sparkle. It makes the ring look so vibrant and tends to draw lots of compliments!

When it comes to sparkle, Moissanite is pretty low maintenance. Some stones start to look muted and dull pretty quickly as they collect dirt from daily wear. Moissanite surpasses diamond, and most other stones, in its ability to sparkle right on through some pretty substantial grime.

Moissanite vs Diamond: Cost

The cost difference between Diamond and Moissanite is significant. A 1-carat diamond will likely cost at least 10 times as much as a Moissanite stone of the same size.

A Moissanite stone of that size will cost $300 to $600. A 1-carat diamond of reasonable quality will typically cost $5,000 or more.

Moissanite vs Diamond: Insurability

Both stones are equally insurable. I wrote an article discussing the options and costs for insuring a lab-grown diamond ring. The same options and approximate costs would also be applicable to Moissanite rings, so that post may be worth reviewing if you’d like to understand your options a little better.

One of the benefits of purchasing a ring with a lower cost stone (like Moissanite), is that you may not need to purchase insurance coverage because the cost of replacing the stone may be low enough that you can essentially self-insure. That saves you money that you might otherwise have to pay every month to cover a more expensive ring.

Moissanite vs Diamond: Resale

All used rings are going to sell at a discount. No one wants to pay anything close to retail for a used right—even if it’s in ‘like new’ condition. The size of the discount that’s required to sell your ring will depend on many factors. There are a couple of important differences to keep in mind when comparing Moissanite and Diamond.

First, you risk a lot less when you buy a Moissanite stone. That reality certainly runs against the grain of the beliefs that advertisers have tried to instill in us over the years. We’re led to believe that the diamonds in our engagement rings and wedding rings are an investment of some sort—that hold their value and even appreciate. Unless you’re buying a truly rare diamond (sizes and colors that typically cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or more) it’s all really fiction.

If you purchase a diamond for 6,000 and have to sell it used for a 50% discount, you’ve lost $3,000. If you purchase a Moissanite stone for $600 and have to sell it for a 70% discount, you would only lose $420 in total. That’s why I say you risk a lot less when you purchase Moissanite. You could essentially toss your Moissanite stone in the garbage and lose A LOT less money than you would after SELLING your diamond ring.

I mention that just to highlight the issue, but in reality, there’s no reason that you wouldn’t be able to sell your Moissanite at a discount that’s similar (and most likely even less) than the discount you would have to offer in order to sell a diamond.

I evaluated a number of used diamond rings and moissanite rings that were being offered for sale in my area to figure out the average discount that was being offered on each. I outlined the results in an article titled Will Moissanite Go Up in Value? Sellers are, naturally, only going to discount as much as they need to in order to draw buyers to purchase their ring instead of a new one, so it’s interesting to get some insight into how low they need to go to accomplish that.

In Summary

Moissanite is not a ‘fake’ stone—and certainly isn’t a fake diamond. It’s a naturally occurring stone that’s been reproduced in laboratories since the late 1800s. Natural Moissanite is rare on earth, but it also exists in space and has often been found at meteor impact sites (which is where Moissanite was first discovered).

Moissanite does happen to look very similar to diamond. While it isn’t quite as hard as diamonds, it is tougher. Moissanite is a durable “forever” stone that’s capable of lasting for generations. Couples that can’t, or don’t want to, spend the kind of money that diamonds demand, often save 90% on the cost of their stone by choosing Moissanite! Years later, many tell me that they couldn’t be happier and would make the same decision all over again!

Related Posts:

How Much are Moissanite Rings? | Finding Inexpensive Options

Will Moissanite Pass a Diamond Tester? | Best Test Options

Will Moissanite Last Forever? | Frugal Family Heirloom Rings

Is Moissanite Better Than CZ? The 5 Facts You Need to Know!

by Dave Greene | | Moissanite

Moissanite and Cubic Zirconia are both diamond alternatives that can look gorgeous and cost significantly less than a similar-sized diamond would. Even though Moissanite and CZ have those things in common, they certainly aren’t the same in many other areas.

Is Moissanite better than CZ? Moissanite is definitely the better option if your primary concern is durability. Moissanite is significantly harder than CZ. That hardness means added scratch resistance. If your primary concern is cost, then Cubic Zirconia may be the better choice because it’s significantly less expensive. 

More than likely, you’re not shopping with just one characteristic in mind. You probably want the most durable ring you can get at the best price you can find. In the remainder of this article, I’ll share information that will help you determine whether Moissanite or CZ is the best fit for you, based on your unique needs.

Moissanite vs CZ: Scratch Resistance

Mohs Scale of Hardness is a relative scale that illustrates which stones are harder or softer than other stones. It essentially ranks stones from hardest to softest and applies a numerical rank that helps you to understand where they fall in the hardness ‘pecking order’.

Diamond is the hardest stone known to man, so it has the highest rating on the scale (10). Talc is the softest stone on the scale, with a rating of just 1. Other stones fall somewhere in between the two extremes. Moissanite is definitely considered a hard stone. It has a score of 9.25 to 9.5, making it one of the hardest stones available for rings. At a score of 8 to 8.5, Cubic Zirconia isn’t in the same league as Moissanite when it comes to durability. CZ is far from the softest stone that’s used as a diamond alternative, but it’s not nearly as durable as Moissanite.

The numerical difference between 8 and 9.25 may not seem like much, but the difference in their actual hardness IS significant! Remember, that The Mohs Scale of Hardness is a RELATIVE SCALE. This means that the only thing the numbers clearly communicate is WHETHER a particular stone is harder or softer than another stone. The numbers can’t convey HOW MUCH harder or softer the other stone is. Even jumping from an 8 to 8.5, for example, could represent a HUGE difference in the actual hardness between two given stones.

With that context in mind, the actual difference in hardness between Moissanite and Cubic Zirconia is significant when it comes to the longevity of your ring. Hardness directly equates to scratch resistance. The harder your stone is, the less likely it is to scratch when your hand comes in contact with other objects and surfaces in your everyday environment. By contrast, the softer your stone is, the MORE likely it is to scratch!

This means that it’s much easier to maintain the beauty of your Moissanite stones, over time, than it would be with CZ stones in comparable pieces of jewelry. If durability is one of your primary concerns, but you don’t want to splurge on a much more costly diamond, you may want to stick with something like Moissanite!

Fact 1: Moissanite is significantly harder than CZ, which means it’s going to scratch far less easily.

Moissanite vs CZ: Sparkle

Both Moissanite and Cubic Zirconia are known to throw off a lot of sparklebut which is BETTER? If you’re the type that just can’t get enough sparkle, Moissanite is your best bet!

The two primary elements of the sparkle effect are fire (colorful flashes of light) and brilliance (flashes of white light). Moissanite outperforms CZ in both areas (it even outperforms diamonds in this area).

Comparing Components of Sparkle

One other important consideration of sparkle, is how well a stone tends to sparkle through dirt and grime. Some stones get muted and dull-looking very quickly. CZ tends to be affected by buildup from dirt and oils much faster than Moissanite. While it’s a good idea to keep your Moissanite clean, it’s known to be a low maintenance ring that continues to sparkle like crazy, even through the kind build-up that dulls other rings!

Those that own Moissanite rings will often tell you that they can’t keep their eyes off all the flashing white and colorful bursts of sparkle they constantly see as they move their ring under light.

Fact #2: Whether both are clean or dirty, Moissanite out performs CZ in sparkle.

Moissanite vs CZ: Retaining Facet Shape

Center Stones are carefully cut with very precisely positioned surfaces. Both the flat surfaces (Facets) and the ridges in between those facets help to create the sparkle effect. If the facets, or ridges in between facets, are damaged, it could seriously inhibit the stone’s ability to sparkle.

Unfortunately, CZ isn’t hard enough to hold it’s shaping indefinitely. As rings are worn daily, they come in contact with various things that can wear down softer stones—like Cubic Zirconia. This means that over the years, the ridges in between facets can start to become rounded instead of having crisp and defined edges. When you compare a new CZ stone against a new Moissanite stone side-by-side, the cuts all look similar. It’s hard to imagine that the two stones could wear so differently over time—but they do.

That change has a major impact on the look of the stone. The stone that once dances with sparkle starts to look dull and lifeless. Moissanite is hard enough to hold its angles and edges despite years of abuse from daily wear.

Fact #3: The ridges between facets will wear down and round over time on CZ. Because Moissanite is significantly harder, it retains its original shape over time.

Moissanite vs CZ: Anticipated Life Span

Because of the difference in hardness between these stones, their anticipated useful lifespan is quite different. A Cubic Zirconia will typically last 3 to 10 years before needing to be replaced—depending on how frequently it’s worn and how carefully it’s protected. Of course your CZ stone won’t turn to powder, or fall off your finger, if you wear it longer than the approximate useful life mentioned above—but after years of wear, the stone often looks dull and tired. It doesn’t sparkle like it once did, and surface scratches may be visible.

A Moissanite stone, on the other hand, should be able to last for many decades. Like diamonds, Moissanite is considered a ‘forever stone’. That essentially means that it’s durable enough to be an heirloom piece that’s handed down to future generations.

Being a ‘forever stone’ doesn’t mean it’s indestructible—just that it’s destruction resistant. Diamonds are the hardest stone on earth, but they can still crack, break, shatter, or even scratch, given the right circumstances. Moissanite is similar. You don’t have to baby it as much as softer stones, but you need to exercise some reasonable caution. If you go white water rafting, for example, it would be a good idea to remove your ring, whether it’s Moissanite, Diamond, or CZ.

Fact #4: The typical useful life of CZ is 3 to 10 years, while Moissanite can last through multiple generations.

Moissanite vs CZ: Resale Value

When you sell a used ring, expect to take a loss. That’s going to be the case whether you’re selling a diamond, a Moissanite, or a CZ ring. If your buyer wanted to pay retail, they would probably prefer to purchase a new ring from a jeweler. Used ring buyers are looking for a deal (savings).

Having said that, CZ is typically inexpensive to purchase new, so it’s essentially valueless on the used market. People can afford to purchase a new CZ, so selling a Cubic Zirconia used is hardly worth anyone’s time in most cases.

Moissanite is more expensive. A one carat Moissanite stone typically costs $300 to $600 depending on the color and where you purchase it. I did some research for a recent article, comparing the resale value of Moissanite to the resale value of used diamonds. I compared real second-hand rings that were being offered for sale in my area to compile that data. You can review my findings HERE.

Fact #5: Moissanite resells for more, but also costs much more to purchase new. CZ costs very little and isn’t as durable, so it can sometimes be harder to resell. 

Summary

Moissanite is certainly the far more durable stone that can symbolize permanence for engagement rings, wedding rings, and anniversary bands. It’s the better choice if you’re looking for something that’s as diamond-like as possible without having to cover the hefty cost of diamonds.

CZ can be beautiful in rings. While it isn’t as scratch-resistant or long-lasting as Moissanite, it’s still the right choice for some couples. Cubic Zirconia can allow couples with extremely tight budgets to get a ring that should last, and look beautiful, for several years without incurring ring debt. Several years later, once the couple is better prepared for the expense, they can upgrade to something like Moissanite or a diamond if they want to. Another affordable option, is to simply replace the CZ stone with a new CZ stone when the stone starts looking too worn. There’s nothing really wrong with that approach either.

For couples that can afford just a little more, Moissanite offers incredible value. It can provide you with a forever stone, and lots of beautiful sparkle, at a frugal price.

Related Posts:

When Does Moissanite Look Fake? | The 3 Main Giveaways

Why Buy Cubic Zirconia Engagement Rings?

Which is Better Moissanite or Cubic Zirconia?

Does Moissanite Lose its Sparkle? | Keep it Looking like New

by Dave Greene | | Moissanite

Moissanite is known for it’s beautiful and active sparkle, but how much will that sparkle diminish with time? If you’re hoping to avoid a flat and dull-looking Moissanite ring, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll talk about the impact that age has on sparkle for Moissanite, and how to keep your stone clean and gleaming!

Does Moissanite Lose its Sparkle? Moissanite will not lose its sparkle as time passes. The clarity and color of the stone won’t change through the years. Dirt and grime are the only common elements that may inhibit a ring’s sparkle until it is cleaned. Damaging the surface of Moissanite can inhibit sparkle, as it would for any ring.

In the paragraphs that follow, I’ll quickly touch on the components (some important elements) of sparkle. We’ll then we’ll look at how you can protect and maintain the full potential of your Moissanite ring to sparkle the way they’re naturally inclined to.

Dissecting Sparkle

Before going further, I want to make sure that you understand what sparkle is, and the various components, the building blocks, of sparkle. It’s a helpful foundation to have as you study the maintenance and longevity of sparkle. I’ll also talk in a moment about how various elements of sparkle (like fire and brilliance) are different in Moissanite and Diamonds.

What is Moissanite Fire?

Have you ever noticed how crystal from a chandelier, for example, breaks normal light into a bright spectrum of color that it reflects back to your eye? Moissanite does that too. When regular white light enters the ring, it’s broken up as it’s channeled around the inside of the ring. Colorful light is then reflected back to your eye through the table (the top) of the stone. It’s a beautiful effect!

Stones that break up white light into colorful sparkles are said to be ‘fiery’. This ‘Fire’ isn’t something that’s unique to Moissanite. Diamonds and even Cubic Zirconia (CZ) also display fire as they interact with light. What is unique to Moissanite though, is the AMOUNT of fire that it has, and the stone’s durability over time (its ability to preserve its sparkle).

Fire is only ONE element of sparkle, but it’s the one that Moissanite is most known for.

Moissanite vs Diamond Side by Side 

Fire is an important component of sparkle, but it isn’t the ONLY one. Brilliance and Scintillation two other elements that you should be aware of. I’ll quickly describe both of those terms for you, and then we’ll look at how Moissanite compares to diamond in terms of sparkle.

Brilliance has to do with your stone’s ability to reflect unbroken white light back to your eye. As light enters the ring, and is channeled about by the ring’s facets, some light will get broken up and reflected as fire, while other light will come back out through the table of your ring as white light. The refractive index of a particular stone determines its brilliance (how much white light it reflects back as sparkle). It’s the combination of fire and brilliance that we typically think of as sparkle. Both components work together and complement each other.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of diamond and moissanite. Notice that Moissanite tops diamond for BOTH fire and brilliance. Because of these characteristics, Moissanite out sparkles diamonds.

Visual Characteristics of Moissanite vs. Diamond

Luster just indicates how light interacts with the surface of the ring. You could think of it as the general radiance of the stone.

Moissanite’s sparkle is hard to take down. It sparkles right through the dirt—but still sparkles much more when clean. Have you ever cleaned your windshield, and only realized at that point just how dirty it was? It’s the immediate contrast that you notice. The same will sometimes take place with your ring. Maybe, you’re happy with it and think it’s sparkling well, then you clean it, and BAM—the sparkle cranks up several levels. You had no idea what you were missing until you cleaned it!

Does Moissanite Cloud?

Early Cubic Zirconia clouded with age, but Moissanite won’t. It’s a stable stone that will retain its clarity and beauty long term. It’s considered a ‘Forever Stone.’ Moissanite CAN get a temporary clouding effect though that mutes the natural sparkle of the stone.

Natural oils from your skin, external oils from your environment, dirt, hardwater, and other gunk can collect on the surface of your ring, causing a haze or cloud that can gradually start to block light flow and inhibit sparkle. It may happen so gradually, that you hardly notice a difference from day-to-day as it steadily grows worse.

Fortunately, this condition doesn’t permanently impact the look of the stone. All it takes to restore your Moissy e-ring to its full sparkle is a good cleaning. The most simple, and common, way to clean involves simply soaking the ring for a few minutes in a small bowl of warm water to start loosening up the grime that has accumulated. After a little while, you can pull the ring from the water, add a little mild dish soap (Dawn is a popular brand), and then scrub gently and thoroughly with a soft baby toothbrush. Be sure to get all sides of the rings and clean well around the prongs and along the underside of the stone.

After scrubbing well, rinse completely and dry the ring as well as you can. The entire procedure should take just 5 to 10 minutes. If your ring was fairly dirty going in, it should look SUBSTANTIALLY different now as it interacts with light!

The Impact of Surface Damage on Sparkle

CZ is a significantly softer stone than Moissanite, the ridges where facets come together can get worn down. As those facets get rounded, the ability of the stone to properly capture, break up, channel and reflect light is impacted—which means the stone’s ability to sparkle is permanently impacted. Because Moissanite is so much harder than CZ, the ridges between its facets won’t get worn down and rounded.

As scratches accumulate on the surface of a stone, they can start to block light from entering as it normally would. That’s especially true, when dirt and oils combine in the ridges, further inhibiting the flow of light. Fortunately, the hardness of Moissanite helps prevent scratches better than CZ—and many other types of stones.

Moissanite Solitaire Ring vs Other Styles to Maximize Sparkle

Some Moissanite shapes and setting styles will lend themselves to maximum sparkle better than others. Facets are the flat surfaces that are cut into Moissanite, diamonds, and other gems to reflect light and create sparkle. The most sparkly cut tends to be the brilliant round. That’s because the brilliant round has so many facets, and also because those stones are often worn as solitaires that have more of the stone’s total surface space exposed (sides and top). That exposure allows light to enter the ring from multiple angles, adding to the stones sparkle.

The science of facet placement and angles in the brilliant round channels light through the ring much more effectively than many other styles can. As a result, some stones with less favorable facet positioning can have less light channeled back through the table of the stone to your eye, instead, losing light to leakage out the sides of the ring.

I wrote an entire article evaluating ‘Which Moissanite Cut Sparkles the Most.’ If you’re looking for a ring that dazzles—even through the dirt between cleanings, you may want to spend a few minutes in that article.

Does the Issue of Sparkle Cause Moissanite Regret 

I’ve honestly NEVER heard anyone complain about a Moissanite ring that doesn’t sparkle enough. There may be people are out there that have that concern, but I’ve interacted with thousands of Moissanite owners through the years and haven’t met them yet.

There are a few that have the opposite concern. They feel that Moissanite sparkles too much. They worry that all the fiery sparkle will tip people off that the stone on their ring isn’t a diamond. If you’re in that camp, a Moissanite ring may not be for you. While most people will naturally see the ring and assume that it’s a diamond—let’s face it…it isn’t. They look very similar, but not identical. I wrote this article several months ago talking about how diamond and Moissanite are like doppelgangers (strangers that look almost identical—almost). You may find it helpful. It goes into A LOT more detail in that area.

Moissanite is a beautiful and durable stone in its own right. Those that can’t get enough sparkle will LOVE owning Moissanite ring. Keep it clean, and it will keep up the bling!

In Summary

Moissanite is a ‘forever’ stone that will continue to sparkle just as intensely as decades, and even centuries, roll by if you take reasonable steps to care for it. In order to maximize the sparkle of your ring, you should clean regularly, as outlined above. The good news is that the sparkle of your Moissanite ring won’t be diminished with time, and can be maximized as you strive to keep your ring clean.

Related Posts:

What is Moissanite Oil Slick? | Fixing the Rainbow Stain

Does Moissanite Get Cloudy Over Time? – How to Protect it!

Wearing Moissanite in the Pool, Hot Tub, or Shower

What is Moissanite Oil Slick? | Fixing the Rainbow Stain

by Dave Greene | | Moissanite

Rainbow colored oil slicks on the surface of a Moissanite ring can be shocking to find—and sometimes agonizing to get rid of. In this post, I’ll share techniques that will allow you to break free of the seemingly endless cycle of recurring oil slick stains on the surface of your Moissy.

What is Moissanite oil slick? This stain appears on the surface of some Moissanite, and has the rainbow-like appearance of radiator fluid. It is likely caused by the buildup of hard water residue and exposure to chemicals and oils. While stubborn, and often frustrating, the stain WILL come off if you use the right approach.

Whether you need to get rid of an oil slick stain on your Moissanite ring, or you’re hoping to learn how to avoid it, so you’ll never have to experience the stain, keep reading, You’ll find all the information you’ll need in the paragraphs that follow.

A Rainbow Stain on Moissanite

If you already own a Moissanite ring, you may be living in fear of the dreaded Moissanite oil slick that so many others have struggled with. This oil slick is also sometimes referred to as Moissanite ‘stain’ or ‘staining’. Once it strikes, the oil slick often feels like an incurable disease.

Sometimes more obvious than others, the stain might be fairly prominent, or it might be something you really have to look for and can only see with certain lighting and angles. Either way, once YOU notice it, it will likely drive you crazy until you’re able to get rid of it. If you don’t address it while the stain is small, it’s likely to get bigger and more visible until you take action.

In the paragraphs that follow, we’ll help you understand both how to avoid having issues with the oil slick effect on your ring, AND how to remedy the situation if it does happen. By the time you’re done with this article, you won’t have to live in fear of this rainbow-like intruder.

What Causes the Oil Slick Stain?

No one knows the exact cause of the rainbow stain on some Moissanite, but there are some common-sense theories that are widely believed throughout the jewelry industry. Most likely, the stain comes from contact with the following types of substances over time.

• Lotions
• Hand Sanitizer
• Soaps (hand soaps, dish soap, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, etc)
• Hair Care products (gel, mousse, hairspray, etc)
• Hard water (dissolved minerals in water that can build up gradually each time your ring gets wet)
• Chemicals (cleaning products)

Do you remove your ring before cleaning the house with sprays, wet wipes, or other chemicals? Do you take it off before showering, washing your hands, or applying lotion? If you don’t, you’re at a higher risk of eventually seeing an oil slick buildup. I wrote an article about Wearing Moissanite in the Pool, Hot Tub, or Shower. There is information and data in that article that may be helpful.

The Oil Slick on Diamond and Other Gems

You may be wondering if all types of gems get oil slick stains at some point. Would diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, or Morganite, for example? How about man-made stones like Cubic Zirconia? The answer is, ‘no’…rainbow staining is a phenomenon that’s unique to Moissanite.

Please understand that not ALL Moissanite is affected by oil slick stains. Some people notice the rainbow stain on their surface of their Moissanite within weeks, others after months or years. There are also many that are NEVER bothered by it. If you own a Moissanite ring it’s possible, NOT inevitable, that the oil slick stain will eventually appear.

Why Does the Oil Slick Only Appear on SOME Moissanite?

The dreaded rainbow stain is MUCH more common in older Moissanite, but be careful about attributing a direct correlation to age alone—there isn’t one. In other words, the oil slick stain doesn’t show up on an older Moissanite engagement ring BECAUSE the stone is old, it seems to show up on the older Moissanite because of the way Moissanite was made at the time.

Yes, newer Moissanite is affected much less often, but very cheap Moissanite (often imported from China) still frequently has issues. This differentiation likely happens because the manufacturers of cheap, imported, Moissanite cut corners in order to keep prices down. The Moissanite looks beautiful at first, but eventually starts to have issues (like oil slick stains). It’s often true that ‘you get what you pay for.’ You can find information on the manufacturer that I trust to provide the highest-quality Moissanite here.

The rainbow stain, we’ve been discussing, seems to appear when a susceptible ring comes in contact with particular substances over time. If you wear a Moissy stone that’s less susceptible, it will be more resistant to the stain.

My wife, for example, wears her Moissanite ring all the time (24/7). While she doesn’t intentionally abuse them, she’s not one to pamper her rings. She washes dishes, kids, dogs, and cars with her ring on. She’ll swim, shower, or soak in a hot tub with her ring on too. Even after all that, she’s never seen the slightest evidence of an oil slick stain on the surface of her ring. I’m really curious to see if one ever appears.

If my wife had a really low-quality Moissanite ring where corners had been cut during the manufacturing process, she may have seen an oil slick show up within the first few weeks or months.

How to Remove Oil Slick From Moissanite

The oil slick stain isn’t easy to remove from the surface of Moissanite, but it definitely IS POSSIBLE. Many people have cleaned their ring until they couldn’t see the stain any longer, only to feel defeated and hopeless when it returns a week or so later. I’ve heard from several people that eventually gave up and sold their ring. I’ve also heard from others that purchased a used Moissanite ring only to have an oil slick reappear a short time later.

There’s no need to dump your ring if it’s affected by this kind of stain. It is something you can fix if you do the process properly. I’m going to share some of the specific techniques that have proven successful for removing the oil slick from Moissanite in the past. Most of these remedies require a little patience and some good old fashioned ‘elbow grease.’

While it might LOOK LIKE the stain is gone after a minute or two of work, in order to get rid of it, long-term, you’ll need to devote a little more time. Planning on 10 to 20 minutes of total work should be sufficient. Keep reading, and you’ll learn more about why the additional time is needed (why you won’t want to stop cleaning as soon as the stain APPEARS to be gone). Just turn on a movie and scrub as you watch, then it won’t feel like such drudgery!

There’s No One Size Fits All Solution

You may have heard someone share information on what they did to remove the oil slick stain from their ring in the past, only to find that it DIDN’T work on yours. That’s a common experience. I think that could happen for a number of reasons.

1. You’re using different products (a different brand of toothpaste or silver polish for example).
2. You’re using different tools (a brush that’s more or less firm for example)
3. You’re using a different technique (you’re pressing more or less firmly for example)
4. Your build-up is heavier than theirs was

Don’t get discouraged if your first effort doesn’t do the trick. We’ve provided a number of solutions that have worked for Moissanite owners around the globe. If one particular approach doesn’t work well for you, try another. You’re sure to find a solution if you don’t give up.

Using a Moissanite Cleaning Cloth

One relatively simple way to clean the oil slick off of the surface of Moissanite, is with a Moissanite cleaning cloth (sometimes also referred to as a Sterling Polishing Cloth, a Sunshine Cleaning Cloth, a Yellow Sunshine Cloth, or a Jeweler’s Rouge Cloth). Many people use the Sunshine Polishing Cloth for Sterling Silver cleaning jobs, but it can also be used to scrub a rainbow film right off of the surface of a Moissanite stone. The process will take a little effort and patience, but it works well.

How do Sunshine Polishing Cloths Work?

A Moissanite polishing cloth is manufactured with a polishing compound (Jeweler’s Rouge) infused on one side. The other side of the cloth is a soft surface used for wiping and buffing once the cleaning is complete. When the cloth is new, it’s typically yellow or orange, but as you wipe your ring with the treated side of the cloth, it will start to turn black—that’s normal. The black marks are a combination of gunk that’s being removed from the surface of your ring, and the visual effect of the polishing compound being removed from the cloth.

A black appearance doesn’t mean that the cloth won’t continue to work effectively for cleaning. The Sunshine cloth residue will continue to work long after the cloth is completely discolored and looking old, in fact, most people find that they can use the same cloth for about 48 months before having to replace it.

How will you know when it’s time to replace your polishing cloth? You’ll know it’s time to replace the cloth when one of two things happens.

• The cloth wears through and literally falls apart.
• The fabric of the cloth starts to get a lot of pilling (those little clumps of balled up fabric—like sweaters often accumulate).

Whatever you do, don’t wash your polishing cloth! It’s natural to consider washing it when you see the surface of the cloth turning dark. Logically, it seems the cloth is dirty, and that it might work even more effectively after a good cleaning. Unfortunately, during the washing process, you’ll strip the cloth of the cleaning compound that makes it effective. If you washed it along with other towels or clothing items, the buildup and chemicals from the polishing cloth might stain the other clothes that it comes in contact with during the washing and drying cycles.

To clean your stone with the polishing cloth, Rub the treated side of the cloth against the oil slick stain on the surface of your Moissanite stone with medium pressure. Stop periodically to evaluate your progress as you go. You should see the cloth darkening, and the stain on the surface of your Moissanite gradually disappearing.

An Important Word of Caution

Rhodium is a light-colored metal from the Platinum family. Some rings are coated, or ‘plated’, in Rhodium to improve their visual appeal or their durability.

Don’t use your polishing cloth on any surfaces that are Rhodium plated! The cloth will remove the plating. Having a local jeweler replate it for you would probably cost $40 or more. The cloth is safe to use on Gold—as long as it isn’t Rhodium plated. Be careful though, because nearly all white gold Is Rhodium plated. Because of that, it’s probably safest not to use polishing cloths on white gold at all—just in case! You should also avoid using the treated side of the cloth of soft or porous stones. While a hard stone, like Moissanite, is safe, something like Opal or Turquoise, for example, could be harmed by the cloth.

Sterling Silver is safe to use a polishing cloth on (as long as it isn’t Rhodium plated). Platinum is also safe to use the cloth on. If your ring is Rhodium plated, you need to be careful with your technique, regardless of which you choose. Silver polish, toothpaste, and other treatments could strip the Rhodium, especially if you apply too much pressure.

Because of this, it would be best to use highly localized treatments that help you avoid contact with the prongs or any other plated areas—for example, using a Q-tip might allow you to rub the stone while avoiding the prongs better than a toothbrush would.

Using Silver Polish

Another common alternative for removing oil slick stains, involves the use of a silver polish (or silver cream) and a soft toothbrush (a baby toothbrush is ideal). If you don’t already have a baby toothbrush on hand, you can pick them up at a local dollar store.

Apply the polish directly to the surface of the Moissanite stone and start scrubbing. I would suggest scrubbing for at least 5 minutes. Once the stain seems to be gone, rinse the stone well with warm water, and then dry thoroughly. Not all brands of silver cream are equally effective. Wright’s Silver Cream is the brand that’s most trusted for oil slick removal. It’s readily available at Walmart, neighborhood hardware stores, and online.

If you prefer a liquid polish, Haggerty’s Silversmith Polish is a brand that I’d recommend. It’s also one that’s recommended by some quality Moissanite manufacturers.

While one cleaning with a silver polish may do the trick, chances are, you’ll need to clean the ring multiple times to fully remove the visible stain AND to remove the film that ISN’T visible. Try to be patient with the process.

Using a Specific Stainless Steel Cleaning Powder

Another product I’ve seen good success with, is a tool called ‘Bar Keeper’s Best Friend’ that many restaurants and bars swear by for keeping their stainless steel looking great. It’s essentially a cleanser that can be used for a number of different purposes. Fortunately, this product is available for home use too. If you get a Q-tip wet and then dip it in the powder to coat the tip, you can typically scrub the oil slick stain off the surface of your Moissanite pretty quickly. As an added bonus, you can use this popular cleanser brand to clean your kitchen too once your ring is squared away!

Try to just scrub the stone, avoiding the metal portion of your ring (hopefully the Q-tip helps you to do that). When you’re done scrubbing, rinse the ring well and then dry it thoroughly.

Using Toothpaste

The thing that I love about using toothpaste to tackle your stain, is that there’s nothing new to purchase. You probably have toothpaste and an old toothbrush on hand right now.

I don’t think that brand matters much when it comes to the kind of toothpaste that you use for this, but Colgate and Aqua Fresh are the brands that seem to be used most often when I hear from people about a successful outcome using toothpaste alone.

Either a soft toothbrush or a Q-tip can be used with the toothpaste to scrub the stain.

Using Dish Soap

A mild dish soap, like Dawn, and the green side (the rough side) of a new two-sided sponge can sometimes work wonders. Here again, I love this technique because it uses common cleaning products that many homes already have on hand. The dish soap is a cleaning agent, but also a lubricant—it’s the friction of the scrubber side of the sponge that can make the biggest difference. Apply pressure as needed.

Depending on the nature of your oil slick stain, you may see rapid progress, or you may need to stick with it and keep scrubbing for 20 to 30 minutes or more before getting the result that you’re looking for. Again, it might be easiest if you put on an episode of your favorite show to entertain you as you work.

Using a Specific Glass Cleaning Spray

A while back, someone told me about a struggle they had over many months to find a solution to the stain on their Moissanite engagement ring. The process of trying to find a solution was driving her nuts—nothing had worked! She tried all sorts of things that others had recommended and then started experimenting on her own in desperation.

Eventually, she found a combination that did the trick. She used a specific glass cleaner called “Invisible Glass” and the rough side (the green side) of a two-sided sponge. The stain came off, her ring looked amazing, and she was elated!

Using a Dremel

If manual processes aren’t doing the trick, if your hands are hurting, or you have medical issues, like arthritis, that prevent you from scrubbing as long and hard as you might normally need to—you may want to consider a more mechanical scrubbing solution.

Exercise caution here, but tools like electric toothbrushes and even Dremels have may prove to be a lifesaver if you need to speed up the process or spare your hands from extended scrubbing. A Dremel is a rotary tool that can be used for a wide variety of functions, like cutting, carving, sanding, or buffing. The accessory that you attach, determines what the tool can be used for.

A Dremel can rotate the attachment being used at 5,000 to 35,000 RPM (revolutions-per-minute). That kind of speed can save you a significant amount of time and effort when scrubbing!

Buffing and polishing are typically done with a felt wheel attachment. You could either try using the felt wheel alone…or you can use it in conjunction with a silver cream or polish.

What to do if Your Oil Slick Keeps Coming Back

If you’ve cleaned your oil slick in the past, only to have it resurface a week or two later, you may be getting to the point of desperation. It can be extremely frustrating and eventually starts to feel hopeless. Some folks that have been through the cycle several times, eventually decide to sell their Moissanite ring (used) and move on. Unfortunately, that means that a new buyer is going to have to start working through the same issues.

Someone recently told me that they use both silver polish AND polishing cloths to remove the oil slick stain from their Moissanite—but the stain keeps coming back again! They’re at their wits end! If you’re in the same boat, don’t lose hope. The oil slick cycle is sometimes hard to break for good, but it can be done, here’s how—

The tarnish or build-up that forms on the surface of Moissanite as an oil slick has a film that (like algae) has to be removed COMPLETELY or it will grow back. Those that have had the seemingly ENDLESS frustration of a returning oil slick, have probably never cleaned their ring well enough to completely get rid of the film. They have been successful at eliminating the visual evidence of the stain, but some of the film remained, so, within just days or weeks, it grows back and becomes visible again.

Here’s the key: Clean your Moissanite until all visual evidence of the stain is completely gone. When you can’t see the stain any longer, and you’d bet your life that the film is gone from the surface of the stone—clean it again another time or two. It’s these additional cleanings (once the stone already appears to be clean) that help to wipe out the remainder of the film. Once the film’s residue is COMPLETELY gone, it’s very possible that the oil slick may NEVER return. At the very least, it won’t return quickly—and you’ll know how to handle it effectively, if it does reappear at some point down the road.

How to Keep the Oil Slick Away

There’s an old saying that I remember hearing as I was growing up, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” While this post shares several very effective methods for getting rid of an oil slick stain on Moissanite, it’s much better to avoid the problem altogether if you can. The following guidelines could help you avoid the hassle of a rainbow stain on your Moissy ring:

• Remove your ring to apply lotion, hair care products, or hand sanitizer.
• Remove your ring to wash your hands or shower.
• Don’t swim or soak in a hot tub with your ring on.
• Remove your ring before cleaning with any kind of chemicals.
• Clean your ring regularly to so you can remove grime before it really builds up.
• Consider using distilled water to wash your ring without concerns about hard water.

When I talk about cleaning your ring regularly, that might mean once a month, every week, or every day, depending on the needs of your ring. Every two to four weeks should be frequent enough unless you’re having a particular problem with build, or staining, on your stone.

Cleaning your ring could be a simple as letting it soak for a few minutes in a small bowl of warm water mixed with mild dish soap, before scrubbing it thoroughly with a baby toothbrush. After scrubbing it down, you would simply rinse it well and then dry it completely.

Another option that’s safe for Moissanite is an Ultrasonic cleaner. These handy devices use sound waves to clean your jewelry. They make frequent cleanings painless! Some people just drop their ring in their Ultrasonic cleaner before going to bed every couple of nights, and then wake up to a sparkling clean ring in the morning.

Ultrasonic cleaners aren’t ONLY available to jewelers. You can actually purchase a unit that’s designed for home use for surprisingly little (less than $50). If an Ultrasonic cleaner makes it easier for you to maintain your ring over the years and maximize its beauty, it’s well worth having.

Warning:Ultrasonic cleaners might not be gentle enough if you have a fairly fragile setting, like a pave settings on your ring. It might also not be the best option if your ring is Rhodium plated. If you have any questions about whether your ring might be too fragile for an Ultrasonic cleaner, talk to a local jeweler or play it safe and wash it manually with soapy water and a toothbrush.

In Summary

If you buy quality Moissanite from a reputable manufacturer, you’re less likely to have issues with an oil slick stain than you would if you purchase very cheap Moissy—where corners may have been cut during the manufacturing process. Removing your ring before dealing with water, chemicals, soaps, hand sanitizer, or hair care products could help prevent the appearance of a rainbow stain on the surface of your moissanite.

If the oil slick stain DOES show up at some point, you CAN get rid of it if you use the methods outlined above and don’t give up. All of the methods outlined in this article have proven effective for removing this type of stain on Moissanite, but you may find that one of these methods works much faster, and more easily, on your particular stone and stain than the others (which is why it’s important not to give up or lose hope as you work toward a solution). Clean your ring regularly to help prevent buildup and keep it looking its best.

Related Posts:

Does Moissanite Get Cloudy Over Time? – How to Protect it!

Will Moissanite Last Forever? | Frugal Family Heirloom Rings

Wearing Moissanite in the Pool, Hot Tub, or Shower

How Much are Moissanite Rings? | Finding Inexpensive Options

by Dave Greene | | Moissanite

Moissanite is now a popular alternative to traditional diamonds. It’s one of the hardest stones on the market, it looks very similar to diamond, and it’s far more budget-friendly for those that need, or want, to keep their costs down.

How Much are Moissanite Rings? Moissanite is often about 90% less than earth-mined diamonds. The savings on some very large, or fancy colored, diamonds can be even higher. Top-quality Moissanite mounted to a gold ring often starts at less than $750. Stone size, ring design, and metal choice can drive the cost higher or lower.

If you’re seriously considering a Moissanite engagement ring or wedding ring, you may be wondering how you can locate the right one and get your very best value. In the paragraphs that follow, I’ll give you advice and information to help shortcut the process for you.

The Main Influencers of Ring Cost

There are a few main components of your ring that influence its cost. One of the most significant is the type, size, and quality of the stone that you choose. If you choose Moissanite as your stone type, you’ll still need to decide between a variety of different colors and other qualities. Completely colorless stones will be more expensive than stones that have a slightly yellow hue, for example.

I’ve priced out loose moissanite stones of various sizes with a reputable manufacturer that’s known for quality. The chart that follows is intended to give you a general idea of cost, each retailer will have pricing that’s a little higher or lower.

Size in Carats	Colorless (DEF)	Near Colorless (GHI)
.23	$129	$99
.33	$169	$129
0.5	$269	$179
0.6	$349	$249
0.8	$459	$319
1.0	$599	$419
1.2	$789	$549
1.5	$1,049	$699
1.9	$1,349	$899
2.2	$1,609	$1,099
2.7	$1,909	$1,299
3.1	$2,319	$1,599

I used this manufacturer for the prices outlined above. Feel free to visit their site if you’d like to take a closer look at their selection of loose Moissanite. Lower-quality stones from some other manufacturers may not look the same or last as long.

The stone isn’t the ONLY consideration for the total price of a Moissanite ring though. Another major component of total cost, is the metal that you choose for your ring. I’ll quickly run through the common options and considerations for some frequently used metals. I’ll also outline the general price difference that you can expect to see when you choose one metal over another.

Silver:

Sterling Silver is a semi-precious metal that’s used in many very inexpensive promise rings, engagement rings, and wedding rings. As I’m writing this, the cost of precious metals are trading at the following price per ounce:

There’s a HUMONGOUS difference in the cost of ‘precious’ metals like Gold and Platinum and the cost of Silver! In fact, at these rates, Silver is nearly 99% less expensive than gold! There is a downside to silver though, it’s harder to maintain in a continually beautiful state, because silver tarnishes as it’s exposed to moisture in the air. That means that you need to polish your Sterling Silver ring regularly to keep tarnish away.

Silver is also a fairly soft metal, like gold, which makes them both much more susceptible to scratching than a harder metal, like Platinum, would be. You’ve probably heard of Mohs Scale of Hardness. It’s a 10 point scale that ranks various materials based on their hardness, so it’s easy to compare their relative hardness. The scale arranges materials in order of hardness, assigning it’s lowest number (1) to it’s softest material, and it’s highest number (10) to it’s hardest material. All other materials fall somewhere in-between and are assigned a number that reflects their relative hardness. Here’s how the metals that we’ve been discussing compare.

Relative hardness is an important consideration because it means scratch resistance, however, hardness obviously has to be a consideration that’s balanced with style preferences, cost, and other factors to find your ideal metal option.

Gold:

Gold comes in several varieties. There’s traditional yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold. It’s common for pricing to be the same (or close to the same) for these color options. There are also different quality levels based on the purity of the gold (the percentage of the metal that is made up of gold versus other metal additives). The common options are 10k (karat), 14k, and 18k, for rings. The higher the number, the higher the quality—and the higher the price!

Jumping from 14k to 18k, for example, will likely cost 20% to 30% more.

Platinum:

Platinum has a beautiful light look and is very hard and scratch-resistant. It’s interesting that gold is more expensive than Platinum when you buy it by the ounce, but Platinum is more expensive than gold when you purchase it as a ring.  There are two potential reasons for the strange price discrepancy. First of all, pure gold is very soft. Gold has to be mixed with other metals to make it harder for jewelry applications. By essentially diluting the gold with harder, and less expensive, metals, it brings down the amount of actual gold that goes into each gold ring—and therefore the cost of each one.

Second, it’s very difficult to work with Platinum versus a much softer metal like gold. Platinum typically costs 30% to 60% more than 14k gold, depending on the design of the ring and where you buy it.

If you’d like to explore the best selection of gold and Platinum Moissanite rings that I’ve found, click HERE. They have a really beautiful collection of rings and great prices. After finding a ring that you like on the site, you can click the “See this style in other options” link beneath the ring to view the same ring design with other Moissanite and metal options! Looks like for a limited time, they’re also offering a $75 discount on $500+ purchase, when you use the coupon code DAZZLE at checkout.

Plated rings:

Plated rings have a coating of one metal that’s covering a base (or core) that’s composed of some other (typically less expensive) type of metal. Plated rings can have the appearance of being far more expensive than they actually are—because the plating gives the impression that the entire ring is made of the same material as the topcoat.

Plating can help you to ‘have your cake … and eat it too’!

Imagine crafting a ring with Sterling Silver at $18/ounce and then just plating it with whatever precious metal you find most attractive (Rose Gold, Yellow Gold, Rhodium, or Platinum). Or taking an inexpensive, but soft, metal (like silver) and plating it with a MUCH harder metal, like Platinum or Palladium—you end up with an inexpensive ring that’s as scratch resistant as a solid Platinum ring.

Because plating doesn’t use a lot of material, you can have the look of a solid gold or platinum ring without the cost. If the plating is done well, the ring should last you for several years before you’ll have to worry about replating. It’s sometimes the ideal solution for couples on a tight budget.

Here’s a great example, I found this 1-carat (6.5 mm) Moissanite ring that’s mounted on a Platinum plated silver ring (meaning that the Sterling Silver base metal is coated in Platinum). The ring is an incredible value at just $199! When you’re saving so much, a quality plated ring, with great reviews from past buyers, could make a lot of sense.

Some couples also stick with unplated Sterling Silver. That’s a viable option, especially if you’re willing to clean the ring regularly, and you plan to upgrade the ring within the next few years.

Here are a few potential challenges with plated rings:

• Thin plating won’t last very long
• Cheap and sometimes dangerous metals can be underneath the plating
• Plating has to be periodically reapplied

Buy from reputable retailers and manufacturers that have a solid history of happy customers, and reputation to protect. If possible, read product reviews related to the specific ring that you’re thinking of purchasing. Buy from a company with a return policy or a solid warranty if possible. Avoid plated mystery metal at all costs, meaning that you simply shouldn’t buy a ring if you don’t know, or aren’t comfortable, with the base metal that it’s made out of.

I purchased an inexpensive ring last year and gave it to my wife to wear daily. I wanted to see how it would hold up to everyday use. It had a CZ stone that was set on a copper ring with Rhodium plating. I thought the solitaire was really pretty when it arrived. I thought it looked like a much more expensive ring when it initially arrived.

As requested, my wife wore the new ring every day—the same way that she would normally wear her diamond or Moissanite rings. By the time she reached the end of the first month, the Rhodium plating had already worn off the ring, exposing the copper base metal. Not only did it look TERRIBLE, but it also started to turn her finger green!

I don’t mean to say that you should NEVER get a plated ring, there’s definitely a time and place for plating, but you have to be aware of the risks going in.

If you’re on a REALLY tight budget and NEED to save as much money as possible on your ring, a plated ring might make sense, but please follow these guidelines as you shop for the right ring.

• Buy from a retailer/brand you trust. This is my favorite source for silver rings that are sold as-is or plated.
• Read buyer reviews (especially updated reviews from past buyers that are updating their experience several months or years down the line). If their ring fell apart a few months after buying it, they may come back to warn others.
• Make sure that Sterling Silver is the base metal for your ring.
• Look for information on how thickly the plating was applied (ie: triple coat).
• The plating should typically use a metal like Rhodium or Gold.

Again, just be mentally prepared for the fact that you’ll likely need to replate the ring again in 3 to 10 years (give or take). The cost of replating will depend on the style of your ring, how manual the application will need to be, the material used for plating, and how thickly it needs to be applied. In general, replating will generally run anywhere from $40 to $200.

Strategies For Keeping Costs Down

We’ve discussed some of the components of Moissanite ring cost, so you can better understand the areas where you can save money on your ring if you need to. Here’s a summary of those options (as well as a few additional items that haven’t been mentioned so far).

• Choose a thinner band. Less metal means a lower overall cost.
• Go with a plated ring. Sterling Silver plated with either gold or Platinum is best.
• Use a very small Moissanite center stone to keep things simple and save costs.
• Get a smaller center stone, and then add a halo of tiny stones as well if needed.
• Buy a used Moissanite Ring (but BE CAREFUL).
• Buy your Moissanite stone and your ring separately, then have a jeweler assemble the ring for you. Sometimes you can buy the components cheaper than the finished ring.

Sometimes there important factors unrelated to the physical characteristics of the ring that also influence the ultimate price of your Moissanite ring in a significant way. For example, where you buy your ring. There are some brands that have a lot of public awareness and brand recognition because of effective marketing efforts. Buyers are sometimes willing to pay a premium for products from known (recognized) suppliers because they have familiarity and assume higher quality.

You can sometimes come out ahead when you purchase from a lesser-known brand, if you end up saving money and getting a high-quality piece of jewelry. Reading buyer reviews will help you gauge the quality of the product and the satisfaction level of past buyers.

Part of the premium that you pay with certain retailers covers benefits like generous return policies, warranties, and other perks (like resizing or engraving) that might come with your ring. To view the price objectively, you should determine how important each of those inclusions is to you, and what it might cost you to purchase them separately (if they’re even available elsewhere). In other words, there’s a real value with some of the benefits that some sellers offer, that should be considered.

Of course, these are just ideas. You can pick and choose the suggestions that seem to fit best and get you to your target price range. Some of these strategies can be utilized with the list of Moissanite rings outlined below.

Here are some examples of Moissanite rings that fall in a very frugal price range of $100 to $800:

In Summary

A 6.5 mm (1-carat) loose Moissanite stone will typically cost between $400 and $600 depending on the characteristics of the stone you select, and where you make the purchase. The cost of a fully finished Moissanite ring of the same size will vary based primarily on the type and amount of metal used, but as seen above, you’ll see rings ranging from under $100 up to several thousand and beyond.. By looking for slightly smaller stones or following the other options mentioned above for decreasing the cost of your Moissanite ring, you can bring your total costs down even further if needed.

Related Posts:

Will Moissanite Go Up in Value? – What it’s Worth Used & Why

Where Should I Buy Moissanite? – 6 Benefits of Buying Online

Is Moissanite Good for an Engagement Ring? | 8 Useful Facts