Moissanite vs Cubic Zirconia

Getting Stoned: A Podcast About Gems and Minerals

Today I want to compare Moissanite with Cubic Zirconia. Both gems are man-made and I have, in the photo along with the audio, one of each. I do want to point out that my camera wasn’t able to pick up the brilliance of the Moissanite as well as the cubic zirconia yet to the naked eye, both gems were dazzling.

Also, my moissanite is much smaller than my cubic zirconia. The Jewelry Shopping Guide had a blog post comparing both with the aim to determine which one was the better diamond alternative.

Both gems have natural versions that are very, very rare, Cubic Zirconia is made up of zirconium oxide while moissanite is made from silicon and carbon. Chemically, moissanite is related to the diamond since both of those gems have carbon.

The origin of moissanite--a gem from the stars--is what sets it apart from cubic zirconia. Moissanite is also the second hardest stone. However, both of the lab gems will cloud up and become hazy over time although moissanite is better able to resist this than the cubic zirconia.

Regarding affordability, both gems are cheaper than diamonds, but moissanite is more expensive than cubic zirconia. The Jewelry Shopping Guide pointed out that a high-quality moissanite carat can cost around $400 while similar cubic zirconia will cost $20-$40. See the difference?

While both of these gems are lab-created, it’s better to think of them like that instead of fake diamonds. I personally used to look at heat-treated minerals a fake, but in reality, you can say that about Moldavite since that was once an entirely different mineral before it collided with the earth and was transformed by the heat of that collision.

It’s something to think about--and both gems are beautiful.

Support this podcast on Patreon for $1.

If you are enjoying my short and sweet podcast, then allow me to invite you to join my community of gem and mineral enthusiasts on Patreon.

For only $1 a month you get:

• Early access to new episodes of Getting Stones
  
• Free goodies such as my free guide to starting your own mineral collection
  
• Free exclusive Patreon only content
  
• A forever-discount for anything you find yourself wanting in my online store.
  

Click here to sign up!