Moissanite vs diamond: an honest guide
Updated October 30, 2026
We sell moissanite, so you should know where we stand: we think it's the right stone for jewelry you wear every day. It is not a diamond, and we'll never say it is. Here's how the two actually compare.
The short answer
| Moissanite | Diamond | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Silicon carbide | Carbon |
| Where it comes from | Created in a lab | Mined, or grown in a lab |
| Hardness (Mohs) | 9.25 | 10 |
| Refractive index | 2.65–2.69 | 2.42 |
| Dispersion ("fire") | 0.104 | 0.044 |
| Price | A fraction of a diamond | Much higher, especially mined |
Sparkle: more color, less white
Sparkle has two parts. Brilliance is the white light a stone returns; fire is the flashes of rainbow color. Moissanite bends light more strongly than diamond and splits it into colors about 2.4 times as much. The result is a stone that looks livelier, with more visible rainbow flashes, especially in sunlight.
In small stones like the 3mm and 4mm stones in our tennis bracelet, the difference is hard to see. In bigger stones, people who know diamonds will notice the extra color.
Hardness: made for daily wear
Diamond is the hardest natural material, at 10 on the Mohs scale. Moissanite is 9.25, harder than sapphire and ruby, and far harder than glass or cubic zirconia. In practice it resists scratches from everyday life, which is why it suits pieces you never take off.
Color
Modern moissanite is graded on the same color scale as diamonds. Ours is colorless, which looks icy white in rhodium and bright against yellow gold plating.
Moissanite vs cubic zirconia
Cubic zirconia is much softer, about 8 to 8.5 on the Mohs scale. It scratches and clouds over time, and it loses its sparkle. Moissanite keeps its sparkle for life with simple cleaning.
How we describe it
Every Glintday piece is labeled "lab-created moissanite." We don't use phrases like "moissanite diamond" or "VVS diamonds," and we don't show crossed-out "original" prices that never existed. Our metal is 925 sterling silver with rhodium or 18K gold plating, and we say so.
Questions
Is moissanite a real gemstone?
Yes. Moissanite is a real mineral, silicon carbide. Natural moissanite is extremely rare, so the moissanite used in jewelry is created in a lab. It is a real gemstone, just not a diamond.
Can people tell moissanite from a diamond?
Most people can't at a glance. Up close, moissanite shows more rainbow-colored flashes than a diamond, especially in sunlight and in larger stones. A trained jeweler with the right tools can tell them apart.
Does moissanite get cloudy?
No. Moissanite doesn't turn cloudy over time. Like any gem it collects oil and lotion, which dulls the sparkle until you clean it with warm soapy water and a soft brush.
Is moissanite worth it?
If you want something bright and durable to wear every day without the price of a diamond, it's a very good choice. If having a diamond specifically matters to you, buy a diamond.