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| Question:
What's the most brilliant jewel in the world?
Hint: It's not the diamond!
Answer:
When compared with other gemstones, moissanite far outshines them all. In fact, it has over twice the sparkle of a diamond--and at only a fraction of the price. Because of its outstanding beauty and value, moissanite is fast becoming one of the most sought-after choices for fine jewelry today.
Out-of-This-World Origins
In 1893, French scientist Henri Moissan discovered minute particles of hard, diamond-like crystals in a 50,000-year-old meteor in Diablo Canyon, Arizona. These crystals--later renamed moissanite--were naturally occurring silicon carbide. Unfortunately, they were far too small to be used in fine jewelry. Over 100 years later, however, an elite team of U.S. scientists has developed a way to grow larger crystals from tiny moissanite crystal "seeds." As a result, moissanite is neither a diamond substitute nor a synthetic diamond. It is its own unique jewel.
An Incomparable Stone
When compared to diamonds and other gemstones, moissanite ranks higher than all others in fire, brilliance, and luster. It also is the second-hardest jewel in the world, after diamonds.
Fire refers to the dispersion of light--the bright flashes of rainbow-colored light that you see when looking at a gemstone.
- Moissanite has 2.5 times more fire than diamonds.
Brilliance is a stone's ability to return white light to the eye by refracting (or bending) the light rays that enter the stone so that they seem to light up its interior.
- Moissanite has a refractive index of 2.65-2.69, versus a diamond's lesser rating of 2.42.
Luster refers to the shininess and sparkle of the stone's surface.
- Moissanite's luster rating of 20.4% is far greater than a diamond's rating of 17.2%.
Durability of a gemstone or metal can be estimated by its ranking on the Mohs hardness scale.
- Moissanite's 9.25 Mohs rating means it is virtually crack-proof, scratch-proof and chip-proof.
The only harder substance is a diamond, which rates 10.0. However, diamonds are somewhat more prone to cracks and chips in their cleavage direction, or the natural way in which a mineral breaks along certain planes based on its crystalline structure.
Guaranteed for Life
Every moissanite jewel in our extensive collection is precisely hand-cut to exact specifications by world-famous Charles & Colvard jewelers. In addition, every moissanite stone comes with its own Certificate of Authenticity and a Limited Lifetime Warranty. This unique partnership not only guarantees you the highest-quality stone available but also the confidence that only comes with over 100 years of trust in the JCPenney name.
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