Why Moissanite

Moissanite is the stone we use whenever one stone has to carry the piece: solitaire pendants, studs, engagement-style rings and eternity bands. Here's why.

What it is

Moissanite is silicon carbide, a crystal first found in a meteorite crater and now grown in a lab. It is colorless, hard, and cut like a diamond. It is not a diamond and we never describe it as one; it is its own stone, with its own strengths.

Why we use it

It holds up. At 9.25 on the Mohs hardness scale, moissanite is harder than sapphire and every other gemstone except diamond. It doesn't scratch, cloud, or lose its polish with daily wear.

It has real fire. Moissanite disperses light more than diamond does, so a well-cut stone throws bright flashes in daylight and candlelight alike. In the sizes we use — 6.5mm to 8mm centers, 5mm to 8mm studs — that reads as a lively, expensive-looking stone rather than an obviously artificial one. (Very large moissanite can look "too sparkly"; that is why we don't sell 10-carat rings.)

It lets you wear the good look every day. A 2-carat moissanite solitaire on a slim sterling band is the piece many of our customers wear as a travel ring, a second everyday ring, or the ring they reach for when the real one stays home.

Moissanite or CZ?

For a line of small stones — a tennis bracelet or tennis necklace — premium cubic zirconia gives the cleanest, whitest diamond look and keeps the piece at a price you can wear without worry. For a single stone that has to be impressive on its own, moissanite is worth it. Every TABAT product page says which one you're getting. Read more in Moissanite, CZ and Diamonds: What's the Difference?