How is Moissanite Created?
If you happen to know something about Moissanite, or you have a Moissanite engagement ring, you might be interested in this question – How is Moissanite Created?
The first Moissanite stone was discovered by Dr. Henri Moissan, when he was examining samples from meteor crater in Arizona in 1893. At the first sight, he thought that it was diamond, because it looks perfectly and shinny as a diamond does. However, the Moissanite he discovered is natural ones, which you can barely seen the meteor hit the canyon every day. Then after lab experiment and industrial application, Moissanite was first introduced to jewelry market in 1998. In the past years, it is becoming more and more popular as a substitute/alternative of diamond jewelry, which is even called as Moissanite diamonds. Hence, topics like “Moissanite vs diamond” is under heat discussion.
When Moissanite was under research and synthesized, its unique structure is one of the element that makes it a magnificent discovery. That Moissanite has more than many polymorphs, almost about 100 polymorphs, each of which has unique and different structure. Researched by chemists, in the very beginning, if a 6H polytype (a crystal with 6 double layers of stoms) could be synthesized, a gem-like quality silicon carbide can be done.
In 1955, a chemist develop a process that similar to process nowadays, which vaporized and condensed silicon-carbide without going through a liquid state. However, this process has a disadvantage that is it cannot be controlled for its impurities when it’s at 2500 degree Celsius, which make the crystal not pure and clear enough. Then later in 1990, when a chemist developed the process by heating silicon-cabide at 2300 degree Celsius in a vacuum environment, the it was cooled to 2200 degree in a low press argon, which is very similar to process nowadays.
Several years later, a professor from North Carolina improved the process into cultivating more pure, larger single crystals, who is from a LED semiconductor company. In 1995, Moissanite was created by lab growing and synthezied from Charles & Colvard (the only patented company of manufacturing Moissanite) , then it was introduced to the market of jewelry field. Since then, more and more Moissanite are grown and developed, with better clarity, color and quality.
Moissanite jewelry is becoming a popular choice for engagement and wedding, range from Moissanite ring, wedding set, Moissanite Earrings and other kinds of jewelry.