What is moissanite?
Artificial diamond? Moissanite?
Moissanite is often perceived as a diamond-like stone.
In general, gemstones that occupy a similar position are manufactured by artificially replicating the process by which natural diamonds are produced, and have the same chemical composition and composition as natural diamonds, so they are traded under the US federal trade as "real diamonds." "Lab-grown diamonds" certified by the committee, "Cubic zirconia" made from a material called "zirconium" which has a hardness comparable to diamonds and a similar refractive index of light, and the famous Swaflovski products. Examples include ``crystal'' made from the well-known colorless and transparent crystal glass, but these examples aim to artificially reproduce the diamond itself or its brilliance, or are clearly ``diamond simulants.'' In contrast to the gemstones that were born as ``moissanite'', artificial moissanite was originally created with the aim of being a completely different mineral.
“A gift from the universe”
Natural moissanite was first discovered in 1893 from the Canyon Diablo meteorite impact site in Arizona, USA. The discoverer was Dr. Henri Moissin, a French scientist and Nobel Prize winner in chemistry. The name "Moissanite" was also named after him.
Moissanite is a mineral composed of carbon, which is the constituent atom of diamond, and silicon carbide, which is a 1:1 compound of silicon. Although it also contains carbon and has properties similar to diamond, it is fundamentally completely different. Of things. Carbon and silicon never naturally fuse together on Earth where oxygen exists, and in nature, the materials are only found in small amounts in meteorites such as those mentioned above, and it is unlikely that they will ever be available on the general market.
The beginning of moissanite jewelry
Moissanite is a new ore that has a brilliance that has been described as surpassing that of diamond, and a durability comparable to that of diamond. However, due to its rarity and the damage that occurs when it passes through the atmosphere as a meteorite, it cannot be used as jewelry, although it is not very common, so research was carried out to artificially synthesize moissanite. . The first company to succeed in this was the American company Charles & Colvard.
The company started selling moissanite around 1998, and is said to still boast the world's highest quality of moissanite production, but after its manufacturing patent in the United States expired in 2015. Nowadays, it has become possible to manufacture artificial moissanite in countries all over the world, and high-quality moissanite jewelry is widely distributed.
Moissanite is gradually and steadily gaining attention.
Perhaps because of its recent history, moissanite is still not widely known in Japan, but in its home country of the United States, it is well known and popular, and according to one theory, in 2020 it was said to be the most-ordered jewelry in New York City.
Although it is one step behind diamond in terms of Mohs hardness, it has the second highest scratch resistance, and because it does not have the cleavage properties of diamond, it has excellent impact resistance (toughness), and is one of the standards for measuring the brilliance of gemstones. The refractive index of light is approximately 2.4 times that of diamond.
One of the main reasons why moissanite is attracting attention from celebrities is that moissanite is a highly ethical gemstone.
"Ethical" is a word that means being ethical and moral with respect to the global environment and human rights, and in Western countries, it is said that sustainable and ethical living is practiced not only in fashion but also in a wide range of fields such as food and hobbies. There is a growing awareness of style.
Many natural stones, including diamonds, are inseparable from the destruction of the surrounding natural environment that comes with their mining, and in some cases can harm the health of miners, cause child labor issues, and sometimes be used to fund conflicts such as civil wars. They may even be connected (of course, there are many natural stones that are highly conscious of these issues and have been carefully considered).
On the other hand, moissanite, which is manufactured in a factory and does not require mining, is free from these problems, and because it is man-made, the supply is stable, and moissanite can be cut in large carats or in special shapes, just like natural stone. It also has the advantage of being easier to obtain.
Why don't you consider moissanite as an option, as it is not only attractive as a gemstone itself, but also matches the trend of modern society that is considerate of people and the global environment.
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*Please note that this translation is provided for informational purposes, and for any legal purposes or concerns, the original text in Japanese should be consulted.
