Moissanite Jewellery
Moissanite, named after its discover Henri Moissan, is a mineral compound of carbon and silicon which becomes the rare form of silicon carbide. The mineral, which is originally thought to derived only from meteorites coming from the outer reaches of space that fell into Earth, can also be found in diamonds, xenoliths and rocks (like kimberlite) as intrusions. It is ideal for use in jewellery due to its extreme hardness (second only to diamonds) and can be used as abrasives in polishing other softer gemstones. Moissanite also forms crystals in the hexagonal formation similar to diamonds. Its very close resemblance to diamonds makes it an ideal diamond substitute or stimulant. Moissanite is rarer than diamond, but there are now synthetic moissanite produced in the laboratories that make them more commercially available.
Lions, Tigers and Moissanite - oh my!