Differences Between Moissanite And Cubic Zirconia
The more you know about the differences between moissanite and cubic zirconia, the easier it will be to find the perfect jewelry to suit your taste! Here are a few of the major differences between moissanite and cubic zirconia.
While both are lab created stones, they have very different compositions. Moissanite is made of silicon carbide intended to mimic the naturally occurring form of the stone. It is rare to find it in natural sources since it is usually only seen where meteorites have fallen to earth. Cubic zirconia is also a naturally occurring gem that is more commonly produced by man-made efforts. It is made of zirconium oxide. While it appears in naturally occurring sources, it is also rare, and the quality of the natural sources is not as great the man-made stones.
Both stones are near colorless. Moissanite and cubic zirconia both offer similar appearances to diamonds. However, there are a few striking differences to know. First, moissanite has more fire and brilliance than cubic zirconia. This is due to the double refraction of the light that passes through moissanite. Moissanite also has a broader color range than cubic zirconia. There are three different varieties of moissanite that range in color from near colorless to off white. These color variations are apparent in daylight and artificial light. On the other hand, cubic zirconia is typically entirely colorless, rated "D" on the diamond color scale. For this reason, cubic zirconias are seldom confused with diamonds. Both moissanite and CZs offer excellent light distribution and reflection.
Another crucial factor to consider when choosing between the two is the durability of the stones. Hardness is a way to measure the durability of the stone. The better the hardness, the less chance of a stone breaking or chipping. On the Mohs Scale of Hardness, diamonds are ranked as a 10 and they are the hardest stone on earth. To give some perspective, moissanite is rated 9.25 while a cubic zirconia is rated an 8.25. This means that moissanite is TWICE AS HARD as cubic zirconia. This means a moissanite stone is much more durable and resistant to scratches than cubic zirconia stones. What's more, even the very best cubic zirconia will cloud over time. Moissanite will never lose its clarity.
The final important difference between the two is the price. While both are created in a laboratory setting, the process to create moissanite stones requires more expensive raw material than cubic zirconia. Also, there are far fewer manufacturers of high quality moissanite. This means the price will be higher than with cubic zirconia. Of course, it should be noted that it will also depend on the stone itself. The bigger the stone, the more it will cost.
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