Moissanite is a diamond alternative that was originally discovered within a meteor in Arizona, but can you clean it with a jewelry cleaner?
If you need to clean your moissanite gemstones, you can do so with any over-the-counter jewelry cleaner product. This should ideally be a non-abrasive and non-toxic cleaner that is made specifically for cleaning moissanite stones.
Read on to learn more about moissanite, how it came to be, and how to take care of it.
The Stone That Was Sent From The Stars
When Henri Moissan stumbled into a meteor crater in Arizona way back in 1893, he came out with a never-before-seen gemstone. He’d discovered what would become known as moissanite, a remarkable diamond-like stone made from silicon carbide.
Allegedly, Moissan was adamant he’d found diamonds in the remnants of a meteor, but further research proved this to not be true. He’d in fact discovered an entirely new stone, and as such, as it was named in his honor – moissanite.
Henri Moissan would go on to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and moissanite would start its journey as a viable alternative to diamonds. Today, all moissanite stones are grown in a laboratory environment, but that doesn’t make them any less authentic.
Although, while moissanite is a perfect alternative to a diamond, there are several differences that set the two stones apart. Firstly, and most importantly, nothing known to man is harder than a diamond, and even the mighty moissanite falls a little way behind that rating.
According to the Mohs Scale of Hardness, a diamond ranks at the top spot, picking up a clean 10 on the scale. Moissanite falls a little ways behind, but it’s still remarkably hard, landing a 9.25, placing it a little ways above corundum, the mineral that comprises a sapphire or a ruby.
Furthermore, moissanite’s brilliance is said to give off more of a fiery, rainbow pattern than the traditional twinkling of a diamond. It refracts light in such a unique way, but there are many who’ll pick the sparkle of a diamond over the radiance of a moissanite stone every time.
The most coveted diamonds are the crystal-clear variants that are commonplace in today’s jewelry industry, but moissanite isn’t always totally clear. In certain lights, a moissanite stone can appear slightly yellow or gray.
And finally, there’s the price, with moissanite stones coming in with a much lower average price per carat than diamonds. Moissanite stones are also more of an ‘eco-conscious’ decision, as they’re lab-grown and don’t need to follow an energy-impactful mining process.
Make Your Moissanite Last
There are a few rules that you should follow with all rings, not just ones with moissanite stones. These include not wearing the ring when you’re working with your hands, not wearing them every single day, and making sure you regularly clean them.
While a moissanite stone is resistant to scratches, it isn’t resistant entirely to damage, grime, and dirt. Furthermore, if your gemstone is set into a ring made from malleable metal, like gold, the ring itself could be susceptible to damage.
Thankfully, there are many over-the-counter solutions that you can use to keep your jewelry looking fresh between professional cleans. For example, if you have a moissanite ring, you’ll want to use a non-toxic, non-abrasive cleanser designed specifically for moissanite stones.
If you need a deeper clean, there are products recommended by jewelers that specialize in moissanite stones. One such recommendation is a sunshine cleaning cloth; another is a silversmith polish solution.
Ultimately, it’s advised that you have your ring cleaned professionally at least once per year, by a jeweler, if possible. There’ll be no deeper clean available, and an expert jeweler will be able to return the ring to glory in a matter of hours.
An important thing to bear in mind when you’re storing diamond and moissanite jewelry is to separate it from other jewelry. This is because these particular gemstones are incredibly hard, as we’ve just explained, and they will effortlessly scratch other jewels.
Now, with all that in mind, we’ll say that moissanite does make for a fantastic alternative to diamonds – particularly if you’re on a tight budget. They’re eco-friendly, beautiful in their own right, and they’re readily available in whatever size you might require.
In fact, if you’re in the market for a moissanite ring in the United States, we published an article designed to help you get started with your search.