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The Pennyweight

Glossary · Fine Jewelry

Moissanite

Moissanite is silicon carbide, not diamond. It is a different material with visibly different optics — more fire, meaning more coloured flash — and it costs a fraction of a diamond per carat. At 9.25 on the Mohs scale against diamond’s 10 it is durable enough for daily wear. It should never be called a diamond of any kind, and honest listings name it outright.

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Three entries from the ledger — the full ranking lives on the best-of pages.

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