HISTORY OF MOISSANITE

Moissanite created by Charles & Colvard has unique physical properties that truly make it unlike any jewel ever seen.

It is generally accepted that the most important characteristics of a jewel are its beauty, durability and rarity. The following information explains how a jewel can have these characteristics.

Moissanite is a stunning new jewel which offers intense beauty, durability, and rarity. Moissanites superior brilliance, fire, and lustre; along with its incredible hardness, make it unlike any jewel ever seen.

Beauty . . .

The beauty of a jewel is determined by its colour, brilliance, "fire" and lustre . . . view more information

	Brilliance - The brilliance of a jewel is created by cutting designs that use the jewel's refractive index and is measured by the amount of light that enters the jewel and is reflected back to the viewer.
	Fire - The dispersion of a jewel combined with the cutting design results in the "fire," or the breaking of light rays into the spectrum of colours and is measured by the amount of coloured flashes viewed when the jewel is moved in various lighting conditions.
	Lustre - Lustre is the amount of light that is reflected back to the observer from the surface of the jewel.

Durability . . .

The durability of a jewel is determined by its hardness, or resistance to scratching, and its toughness, or resistance to chipping or cleaving. The jewel's hardness also determines the extent to which brilliance and "fire" can be highlighted by cutting with sharp, highly polished facets . . . view more information

Rarity . . .

Rarity is the availability or perceived availability of a jewel . . . view more information

These important characteristics are determined by a jewel's physical properties. The table below compares the physical properties of created Moissanite and four of the most popular natural jewels.

Jewel Comparison Chart . . .

	BEAUTY			DURABILITY		SPECIFIC GRAVITY
	BRILLIANCE Refractive Index	FIRE Dispersion	LUSTRE	HARDNESS Mohs	TOUGHNESS
	2.65-2.69	0.104	20.4%	9.25	excellent	3.21
	2.42	0.044	17.2%	10	excellent *	3.52
	1.77	0.018	7.4%	9	excellent **	4.00
	1.77	0.018	7.4%	9	excellent **	4.00
	1.58	0.014	4.8%	7.5	good to poor	2.72

* except good in cleavage direction    ** except twinned stones