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Created Moissanite Loose Jewel 4.0 mm Round (0.25 ct) |
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HISTORY OF MOISSANITE |
UNIQUE PROPERTIES |
| Naturally occurring Moissanite is extremely rare and was first discovered in a meteorite in Diablo Canyon, Arizona in 1893 by Nobel Prize winning Chemist Henri Moissan. Because of the extreme conditions that give rise to Moissanite, the crystals exist only in trace amounts on Earth. It was not until almost ninety years later that Charles & Colvard developed a process to create gemstone-quality Moissanite and began distributing it to jewelers who were eager to work with such a beautiful and rare jewel. |
The physical properties of Moissanite make it the perfect jewel. Moissanite is extremely hard, light, and resistant to heat. This results in a jewel of incredible luster, fire, and brilliance with sharper facets and better resilience than any other precious jewel. All jewels are evaluated based on their beauty, durability, and rarity. No other gemstone demonstrates these qualities to the level that Moissanite exhibits. |
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Beauty, Durability and Rarity |
UNIQUE PROPERTIES |
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The Beauty of a jewel is judged on three components: brilliance, luster, and fire. Brilliance arises from the jewel's refractive index and is a measure of how much light that enters the jewel is reflected back to the viewer. Luster measures how much light is reflected off the surface of the jewel. Moissanite has a higher refractive index than diamond and reflects back several times as much light from the surface and heart of the jewel. Fire is a measure of dispersion and how intensely light that enters the jewel is split into the colors that make up the visual spectrum. The result of a jewel's fire is the sparkling color flashes you see when it is moved. Moissanite's dispersion is over twice that of diamond, which results in a breathtaking display of colors when Moissanite jewelry is worn.
A jewel’s Durability is measured by its hardness and toughness, which are tested by observing resistance to scratching, chipping, and cleaving. The durability of a jewel is extremely important to how much fire and brilliance it possesses. The more durable the jewel, the more facets that can be cut into the face of the stone and the more intensely they can be polished. The durability of Moissanite makes it possible to craft the jewel in order to maximize the observed brilliance and fire.
The Rarity of a stone is determined by its natural occurrence and availability. Moissanite is by far the rarest jewel on Earth and is available only after a century of research and a process that blends elements of art and science to produce the jewels. |
he following chart compares Moissanite’s physical properties to four of the most popular stones used in jewelry.
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Shape and Computer Modeling |
Quality, Warranty, Certificate |
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SHAPE AND SIZES
Moissanite jewels are extremely durable and tough allowing them to be cut into almost any shape imaginable and are typically cut to have between 40 and 90 facets depending on the style. No matter what your desire or dream setting, Moissanite can be crafted into a shape to fit.
Moissanite is available in a range of carat weights. Moissanite jewels are typically measured in millimeters across one or two sections of the jewel and then converted into an equivalent carat weight as Moissanite has a different specific gravity than diamond. Depending on cut, Moissanite jewels can be obtained in 0.013 to 15.00 carats. A good benchmark for most cuts is that a 6.5mm Moissanite jewel is equivalent to a 1.00 carat weight diamond.
COMPUTER MODELING
Moissanite’s unique properties demand that the jewels be cut to exacting standards to ensure that the jewel ’s fire and brilliance are maximized. The Moissanite cutting process requires facet proportion and angles that can’t be achieved with many other jewels. Moissanite jewels are modeled on computers to allow of constant experimentation to determine the maximum light reflection for each cut. This allows for the complete elimination of "dark areas" within the stone, which can’t be achieved in other jewels with many of the fancy cuts that are possible with Moissanite.
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Charles & Colvard offer consumers a limited Warranty on all Moissanite jewels they create. The warranty covers the jewel’s brilliance and fire. If the optical properties of the jewel become altered, the jewel can be returned for the defective jewels can be replaced with jewels of equivalent value.
In addition to the warranty, each Moissanite jewel is accompanied by a Charles & Colvard Certificate of Authenticity. Charles & Colvard certifies that their jewels have been created by their highly-trained specialists using their proprietary process and technology. Full details pertaining to the Warranty and Certificate of Authenticity can be found in the documentation that will ship with your purchase of Moissanite jewelry.
 
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