More fire than a diamond. And a story just as bright.
Moissanite was discovered in 1893 by the scientist Henri Moissan, inside a meteorite that had fallen in Arizona. He thought he had found diamonds. He had found something rarer: a gem the universe made long before we did.
Today, moissanite is created in a lab with the same chemistry as the original stone (silicon carbide), and with optical properties that outshine a diamond in brilliance and fire.
How does it compare to a diamond?
Brilliance
Moissanite has a refractive index of 2.65, higher than a diamond's 2.42. It returns more light and splits it into livelier flashes of colour, especially in daylight.
Hardness
At 9.25 on the Mohs scale, moissanite is second only to diamond (10). It stands up to everyday wear, scratches and time, and it doesn't cloud.
Kinder to the planet
Every Zivaria stone is created in a lab, so nothing is dug out of the earth. No mining, no conflict over where it came from. We only work with moissanite for exactly this reason.
Priced like premium silver jewellery
A 1 Carat moissanite costs a small fraction of a comparable diamond, with equal or greater sparkle. So you can wear it every day instead of saving it for later.
How is Zivaria moissanite graded?
Every Zivaria moissanite is:
· D colour, the highest grade, completely colourless
· VVS1 clarity, with inclusions practically invisible even under a loupe
· Delivered with its GRA certificate. GRA stands for Gemological Research Association, an independent laboratory that confirms the authenticity, colour and clarity of each stone.
Can anyone tell it apart from a diamond?
Not with the naked eye. It takes specialist instruments. The real difference is the price, and the peace of mind of a stone that never had to be mined.
Moissanite isn't trying to be a diamond. It is an extraordinary stone with its own identity.
At Zivaria, we choose it because it's the best.