Moissanite is one of the most famous diamond simulants out there, and for good reason. It’s colorless, clear, sparkles like mad, and is nearly as tough as actual diamonds. But what if you wanted to get colored moissanite ? Is that even possible ? Can you get any color moissanite, at all ? Would anyone know it’s moissanite ? Doesn’t it get cloudy over time ? Let’s explore this because moissanite really has a lot to offer and it’d be a shame to pass up something as nice as this.
Can moissanite be colored ?
Yes, moissanite can be colored just as well as it can be colorless. Moissanite on the market is in fact a lab-grown gemstone, and because of that its color can be manipulated during the growth process, resulting in any color you may be looking for. Most moissanite is grown and sold as colorless, because that is the highest demand.
Most of the time when you’re looking for colored gemstone dupes, you’ll find colored cubic zirconia. But there is also colored moissanite, yes. Less common, but definitely something you can find.
What is the best color of moissanite ?
The best color for a clear moissanite is the D through F range, just as you would for a diamond. Of course, if you want a warmer hue you can get the G-J range.
The great thing about D-F moissanite is it won’t be nearly as expensive as a D-F diamond (natural or lab) so you can comfortably splurge for the the D grade.
Read also: Are Eternity Rings Comfortable And Can You Wear Them Every Day ?
Can you get pink or purple moisssanite ?
Yes, you can get pink or purple moissanite, the same way you can get green moissanite or even black. Most of the time the moissanite in question will be far clearer and too sparkly to pass for a real colored gemstone.
For example purple moissanite cannot pass as an amethyst, even if you were to get the color just right. The problem is the very high clarity (which amethyst doesn’t have), coupled with the colorful sparkle (fire) of the moissanite. An amethyst, like most colored gemstones, does not sparkle that much, it only has a few flashes of light. So a purple moissanite would immediately appear as gaudy or costume jewelry if you ever try to pass it off as amethyst, and the same goes for other colors.
Any colored moissanite you may pick up will only be able to pass as a colored diamond, in which case you want to get a smaller moissanite because colored diamonds (also called fancy color) are very rare and very expensive. Wearing a 1 carat pink moissanite is exquisite and believable, but wearing a 3.6 carat pink moissanite and is going to raise eyebrows. I really, truly depends on what you’re trying to achieve with the moissanite.
So in short, yes, you can get colored moissanite but its high clarity and extra sparkle mean it’s either going to be worn as moissanite, or as a fancy color diamond dupe (in a small carat size).
Will anyone know it’s moissanite ?
People will not know it’s moissanite, unless you tell them or they are a highly trained professional and they look very closely at your gemstone. Be it colored or clear moissanite, this gem sparkles just a tad more than diamonds, and will usually look like a high grade, perfect clarity and perfect color diamond.
But remember, diamonds are expensive and rocking a 4 carat moissanite ring will make it appear gaudy, simply because a 4 carat diamond would be incredibly expensive and out of most people’s budget. Unless ‘incredibly expensive’ is part of your lifestyle, a big moissanite is an dead giveaway.
If you want to wear something that would easily and safely pass for diamond, opt for smaller moissanites (under 2 carats), and very small ones for eternity rings, bracelets, necklaces etc. Same size you would usually get in a diamond.
A word of caution for step-cut moissanites: these cuts have very few facets, and are the ones that may make it easier to notice that it’s a moissanite instead of a diamond. This is because moissanites have a double refraction, meaning the light and image are doubled as they pass through the stone.
So an emerald-cut moissanite will look a bit fuzzier than an emerald cut diamond, because there is a slight doubling of the facet image. Not completely fuzzy, but just enough to raise a few questions from those who know exactly what an emerald cut diamond should look like.
Read also: High VS Low Ring Setting
Can moissanite pass diamond test ?
Most moissanite will pass a diamond tester, since those testers are testing for how well the stone will conduct heat. In this regard, both diamond and moissanite are very good heat conductors so yes, the moissanite will pass the diamond test with a thermal tester pen. Those are the most common testers on the market.
But as moissanite has advanced, so have the tester pens. There are testers that are now calibrated to also detect moissanite, and there are testers designed for moissanite entirely. So if your moissanite were to be tested with either of these, it would not pass as a diamond. It really depends on what you test it with.
Does moissanite get cloudy ?
No, moissanite does not get cloudy or turn yellow with age. Moissanite is almost as tough as a diamond, meaning it will be very scratch-resistant (which is what would make it cloudy). To be more specific, a diamond scores a perfect 10/10 on the Mohs hardness scale while moissanite scores 9.25 on that same scale. So this means your moissanite will hold up in time nearly as well as a diamond would.
You may be thinking of cubic zirconia, which is another diamond simulant that does get cloudy in time due to accumulated scratches. This is because cubic zirconia is an 8 on the Mohs scale, which is significantly softer than both moissanite and diamond. It’s just as much as emerald, aquamarine, morganite, topaz, and spinel.
Cubic zirconia might get a yellow tint if exposed to sunlight for several years. Even so, those discoloration cases are pretty rare. It could be that whomever told you to be wary of moissanite was confusing it for cubic zirconia.
I’m the main author for jewelrymaterialguide.com. I started this site after we did tons of research before our wedding and noticed that there is information about rings, jewelry, and so on that is really hard to find on the internet.
