Diamond Substitutes

Moissanite is 9.5 on the Mohs’ Hardness Scale. It is a naturally occurring silicon carbide and is very rare in nature. Until the 1950s, there was no other source of moissanite other than what was found in meteorites. Synthetic Moissanite is close to diamond in overall appearance and it has some optical properties exceeding those of diamonds.

Morganite is also called pink beryl. The color is light pink, salmon, to violet. Inclusions and fractures are rare, thus making it more durable than stones like emerald. Morganite is one of the rarest members of the beryl family. Due to the scarcity, especially those of high quality, they tend to be among the most expensive gems per carat. Ones that are deep pink in color tend to be the most valuable. It is 7.5 – 8 on the Mohs’ Hardness Scale.

White Sapphire is 9 on the Mohs’ Hardness Scale. Colorless sapphires are uncommon in nature. They were once used as diamond substitutes in jewelry, but are mostly used as accent stones now.

Topaz in its natural state is colorless and is an 8 on the Mohs’ Hardness Scale. It is one of the hardest naturally occurring minerals. These gems may be known as White Topaz or Clear Topaz.

Colorless Zircon is a 6.5-7.5 on the Mohs’ Hardness Scale. It has a high refractive index and strong dispersion, so it has great brilliance. It is more brittle than the other gemstones listed here.

Natural Cubic Zirconia (CZ) was only discovered in the 1930s. Because natural CZ is so rare, scientists began to work on synthesizing it. They have similar names, but Cubic Zirconia (zirconium oxide) and Zircon (zirconium silicate) are quite different gemstones. Synthetic CZ is an 8 on the Mohs’ Hardness Scale and is a good diamond imitation following the synthetic Moissanite.