The Journal
Laboratory-grown diamond or moissanite: which to choose
Every VIBHINI design is offered with a laboratory-grown diamond or with moissanite, in the same metals, at two different prices. People ask us which one to pick almost every day, so here is the plain answer, without selling you either.
In short
A laboratory-grown diamond is diamond grown in a laboratory, graded on the same scales as a mined one, at 10 on the hardness scale; main stones above 1 carat come with an IGI report. Moissanite is a different stone, silicon carbide, at 9.25, with more coloured fire and a much lower price at the same size. Choose the diamond for the word and the certificate; choose moissanite for the biggest, brightest stone for the money.
What each stone actually is
A laboratory-grown diamond is a diamond grown in a laboratory instead of being mined. Its crystal structure is the same as a mined diamond's, and gemmological laboratories grade it on the same scales. For how it differs from a mined one, see laboratory-grown or mined diamond.
Moissanite is a different stone: silicon carbide. It occurs in nature only in tiny traces, so the moissanite used in jewellery is made in a laboratory. It is not a diamond, and we never describe it as one.
How they look
Sparkle. Moissanite bends light more strongly than a diamond, and splits it into colour more than twice as much. That gives the rainbow flashes people notice immediately, especially in sunlight and in larger stones. A laboratory-grown diamond returns more plain white light, which is the look most people picture when they think of a diamond ring.
Colour. Laboratory-grown diamonds are graded on the same colour scale as mined ones, so you know exactly what you are getting. Moissanite is usually near-colourless, though large stones can show a warm or slightly green cast in strong light.
Size for weight. Moissanite is lighter than diamond, so a moissanite the same size across as a one-carat diamond weighs less. This is why moissanite is measured in millimetres rather than carats. On our pages, both options are shown at the same millimetre size, so the ring looks the same either way.
How they wear
Diamond is the hardest material used in jewellery, at 10 on the Mohs scale. Moissanite is about 9.25, which is harder than sapphire and perfectly suited to daily wear. In practice, both survive ordinary life; a diamond simply resists surface scratches best over decades.
Neither is unbreakable. Any stone can chip if it is struck hard on an exposed edge, which is why the setting matters as much as the stone. Prongs hold more light; a bezel protects more.
What comes with a certificate
Laboratory-grown main stones above 1 carat come with an IGI report, which states the stone's carat, colour, clarity, cut and how it was grown. It travels in the box with your piece. Smaller stones don't carry individual reports, and moissanite doesn't come with a gem report of that kind.
What each costs
Moissanite costs considerably less than a laboratory-grown diamond of the same size, and the gap widens as the stone grows: prices rise faster than size for laboratory-grown diamonds, and far more gently for moissanite.
You don't have to take that on trust. Open any design on our site, switch the stone, and the price changes in front of you. The metal, the size and the making stay the same, so the difference you see is the stone.
Which one should you choose?
Choose a laboratory-grown diamond if the word diamond matters to you or to the person wearing it, if you want the certificate in the box, or if you are buying an engagement ring meant to be a fixed point in a family for decades.
Choose moissanite if you want the largest, brightest stone your budget allows, if the piece is one of several you like to wear and change, or if you like the extra fire moissanite gives.
There is no wrong answer here, and no difference in the workmanship. The same hands set both.
How to order either
On any VIBHINI design, choose the metal, the colour and the stone; the price updates as you choose. Each piece is made to order in Surat in about 15 days, in US size 6.5 for rings (other sizes on request), and delivered free across India, insured and signed for. See Questions and Answers for sizing, returns and care.
Quick answers
- Is moissanite a diamond?
- No. It is a different stone, silicon carbide, and we always name it plainly.
- Which sparkles more?
- Moissanite throws more coloured flashes. A laboratory-grown diamond gives more white brilliance.
- Will moissanite scratch?
- Not easily. At about 9.25 on the Mohs scale it is harder than sapphire, though diamond, at 10, is harder still.
- Does a moissanite piece come with a certificate?
- No. IGI reports come with laboratory-grown main stones above 1 carat.
- Can I have the same design in both?
- Yes. Every design is offered both ways, in silver or 9K to 18K gold.