About Moissanite
The stone behind the sparkle
The one that gets the question, "wait, is that real?"
Moissanite is behind some of NyuMe's most-loved sparkle. Here is what it actually is, how it holds up, and why it might be the smartest stone in your jewellery box.
What is moissanite?
Moissanite began as a genuine rarity. It was first discovered in 1893 by French chemist Henri Moissan inside the crater of a meteorite, in crystals so small and scarce that natural moissanite has never been commercially mined.
Every moissanite used in jewellery today is grown in a lab, recreating that same rare crystal structure (silicon carbide) under controlled heat and pressure. The result is a clear, colourless stone that is cut and faceted exactly like a diamond.
It is also close enough to diamond that standard diamond testers often register moissanite as a diamond.
Does it look and feel like a diamond?
Yes, and in a lot of light, even more. Moissanite is cut, polished and set exactly the way diamond is. To the eye it reads the same: clear, bright, and hard enough to wear every day.
The real difference is the sparkle. Moissanite bends light more than diamond (a refractive index of about 2.65 to 2.69, against diamond's 2.42), which shows up as flashes of colour through the white brilliance. Diamond throws a cooler, whiter sparkle.
Neither is more "real" than the other. It comes down to which flash of light catches your eye.
Side by side
Moissanite vs lab-grown diamond vs diamond vs zircon
How the four compare on what matters for everyday jewellery.
| Moissanite | Lab-grown diamond | Natural diamond | Zircon (cubic zirconia) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made of | Silicon carbide, lab-grown | Pure carbon, lab-grown | Pure carbon, mined | Zirconium dioxide, lab-grown |
| Hardness (Mohs) | 9.25 | 10 | 10 | 8 to 8.5 |
| Sparkle | High fire, rainbow flashes | Bright, white brilliance | Bright, white brilliance | Softer, less fire |
| Everyday durability | Excellent, resists scratches for years | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate, scratches and clouds with wear |
| Relative cost | A fraction of diamond | Lower than natural, higher than moissanite | Highest of the four | Lowest cost, shortest life |
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see all four stones.
Price guide
Typical market price per carat
(cubic zirconia)
diamond
diamond
Illustrative, rounded figures for a well-cut, roughly 1 carat round stone, in US dollars. A general market reference, not NyuMe's own pricing. Sources: Charles & Colvard; Liori Diamonds 2026 price ladder.
Why moissanite beats zircon (cubic zirconia)
Zircon, the stone most people know as cubic zirconia or "American diamond", is the one moissanite gets compared to most, since both are budget-friendly diamond look-alikes.
The similarity stops at first glance. Cubic zirconia is noticeably softer, so it picks up scratches, fogs, and takes on a faint yellowish haze within months of regular wear.
Moissanite's extra hardness keeps it clear, faceted and bright for years rather than weeks, which is why NyuMe builds its moissanite pieces for daily wear, not just one occasion.
The benefits of moissanite
Brilliance
Diamond-level sparkle without the diamond price: a bigger, more dramatic stone for the same budget.
Everyday tough
9.25 on the Mohs scale, so it shrugs off knocks, scratches and daily wear.
Responsibly made
Lab-grown from the start, with no mining footprint.
Fine-jewellery finish
Colourless and cut like a diamond, so it wears, and photographs, the same way.
Why it's right for you
NyuMe is for people who wear their jewellery, not save it for one day a year: stacked rings on a Tuesday, drop earrings for a client call, a cocktail ring for a night out. Moissanite fits that life. Enough brilliance to hold its own next to a diamond, tough enough to wear daily, and priced so you can own the sparkle instead of renting it.
If you want the look of fine jewellery without treating it as too precious to wear, moissanite is the stone for you.
Certified, every piece
Verified for quality
Every NyuMe moissanite piece comes with a GRA Moissanite warranty card, backed by a certificate from GRA (Global Gemological Research Academy). Enter the report number on your card at www.gramoissanite.net to verify the stone yourself.
GRA moissanite follows Belgian cutting craftsmanship and comes with a Moissanite Manufacturing Guarantee and Global Warranty Card, your proof of a genuine, official moissanite product.
What your GRA report confirms
Shape and cut · Weight · Measurements · Colour · Clarity · Cut grade · Depth · Table · Girdle · Culet · Polish · Symmetry · Fluorescence
Is moissanite the future?
All signs point to yes. Lab-created stones are the fastest-growing part of the fine jewellery market, as more buyers choose gems that are transparently sourced, kinder on the budget, and just as beautiful as anything mined.
Moissanite sits at the sharpest edge of that shift: a diamond's brilliance and the durability for daily wear, at a price that lets you build a collection instead of buying a single investment piece.
Shop The Moissanite Collection
So You. So Nyu.
