(Closed) Some Unanswered Moissanite Questions…

• allyouneedislove
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: August 2014

I can answer a few!

I’ve only had my FB for about 6-7 months, but I’m really hard on it (constantly hitting it on walls, etc. accidentally) and it’s still as pretty as the day I got it! No chipping or dulling.

I actually find it the sparkliest in low lighting, I love looking at it in dimly lit restaurants, bars, shops, etc.

I would choose my FB moissy over and over and over again if given a choice :).

• pixiecat
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: October 2014

I can answer a few questions:

1. The warmth is that Moissanite can look yellow at times.  For mine (6.5mm unenhanced cushion) I would say it is less tham 20% of the time it looks yellow.  Some people call it buttery because it is a pale yellow.  The majority of the time it looks white.  I also have 5 mm studs and they have never looked yellow to me (mind you I only see them in the mirror or if I take them out)

4. No cracking or chipping, I have banged it around a lot too because I am clumsy.

5. Low light is the absolute best lighting to really see how much Moissanite sparkles.  As PP mentioned, restaurants and bars are the perfect lighting to really show off the sparkles.

6. Absolutey.

7. I have no intention of ever upgrading so I do not care if the stone looses value or not.  I would feel the same about diamonds as well.

8. No experience directly with C&C, I bought my ring and earrings through MoissaniteCo and have no compalints.

• jdhall89
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: July 2014

@chocolatejazz: 

1. My stone really picks up colors around it, so if the light is pink, the stone will look pink. If the light is white, the stone looks white.  If the light is yellow, the stone looks buttery.  I definitely don’t feel like my stone looks yellow when it’s in sunlight or flourescent light, but if it’s in dim/yellow light, it looks buttery.

4. Nope!  I’ve had a pair of earrings for 4 years and I haven’t had any problems.  My engagement stone is also looking like new after a year.

6. Definitely!  I chose a moissanite engagement ring after owning other moissanite jewelry, and we did have the budget for a diamond, if I wanted one.

7. I’m not planning on upgrading, so this isn’t really an issue.  The beauty of moissanite (for us, at least) was that we could really have gotten any size stone we wanted without budget ever coming into the discussion.  The stone is also not particularly expensive (about $500).  I’ve never tried to sell a diamond, but I assume a 1ct diamond loses more than $500 in value the moment it leaves the jewelry store (unless you have a trade-in program).

• Creiddylad
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: May 2015

@chocolatejazz:  You are fantastic for posting this! I will be following to see what everyone has to say, since my SO and I have pretty much agreed on getting moissanite (unless he decides to get a green sapphire, but I think moissanite is probably going to be it since we like the idea of a classic “colorless” stone).

-Note that I do know that moissy is not exactly colorless and that’s one reason I love it!

• DrAtkins
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: March 2014 - A castle

@chocolatejazz:  

1. What does the term “warmth” mean when describing moissanite?

For me the warmth can mean it sometimes looks yellow, sometimes grey. Most of the time it is bright white, but it can take on a multitude of colors depending the lighting, the colors in the environment, etc. This is based on the specific lattice spacing of the molecules that will never make it completely colorless. This is discussed at length on the betterthandiamond forum by Less. Here’s a thread I have up where people show off the many “moods” of moissy.

2. I recently read this press release by the C&C company here http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=95566&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=1808473&highlight= and it described how future stock of moissanite under the Forever Brilliant label will be whiter and brighter. Does anyone have an older moissy and FB one to compare? Is the FB one truly the best white stone (out of all gemstones) that you’ve ever owned?

I kind of skimmed through. I think this is just them trying to get some hype over their FB stones because everyone is talking about the Amora Gems being released. I have heard that this new rough of FB stones are not actually enhanced through the HPHT process, but just somehow come from a much white rough to start off with.

I currently own a FB, probably not from the 2013 batch they are talking about, even though it was purchased this year. You can look at my posts and see lots of pictures of it. My coworker has an unenhaced round. I think both are really pretty but hers is more moody than mine. Sometimes it can look bright green. I love the moodiness of the stone though, so I’ll probably get unenhanced for my next one. I think it’s really cool to see how it behaves in diff environments.

3. Any comparisons to the Amora Gem?

Amora gem thread that unfornately got closed here.

4. Any issues with cracking /chipping or dulling over time?

C&C’s warranty gaurentees the integrity of the stone over time; however, chipping is possible as it is even possible with diamonds. Although moissanites aren’t as hard (aka scratch resistant) as diamonds they are actually tougher from what I have read (meaning they can withstand higher pressure/force so are less easy to chip than a diamond).

5. Does the moissanite sparkle when in extremely low-light?

Restaurant lighting (incandescent lights) make these things look amazing. They sparkle and glow in all lights, but what is interesting is that they can actually appear to get darker in direct sunlight. Here’s a video.

6. Would you choose moissanite again, if given a choice?

Always and forever. I’m sold FOR LIFE.

7. For bees that have owned a moissy for lets say over 5 years: Are you concerned about overall value over time. For instance, if you wanted to change carat weight or shape for an anniversary upgrade, are you concerned that 5-10 years from now it won’t be worth as much as you paid for it?

Can’t answer this, but used moissys on ebay go for a little under (like $100) what the original owner paid. So far they have a good resale value – in that you basically recoup your money. Diamonds on the other hand, not so much… (unless they are over 1 ct center)

8. Overall feeling about the C&C company, i.e. customer service, etc. 

I didn’t go through moissanite.com which is the C&C company online retailer, I bought through moissaniteco.com and had a great experience with them. I happen to like their variety and selection of settings much more than C&C. Their website is also more user friendly, IMO. All moissanite is made in the CREE factory by C&C though (except in countries that are immune to patents which is a newer thing I guess)

• sparklediva
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: July 2004

@chocolatejazz:  

you can learn everything you need to know about amora enhanced moissanite and the Amora Gem a Betterthandiamond.com.  I’ll try to give you a fast and easy explanation.

Amora enhanced moissanite is a product offered by BTD.  They pre-screen moissanite from C&C for cut and color and enhance those stones to a H color for rounds and J color for cushion.

That same company is now growing their own moissanite ( VERY ) different from C&C because it grown at a F color and is cut exactly like an H&A diamond.  IT is only available by waitlist in 9mm and 8.5mm  rounds right now but smaller sizes will be offered later.  The only downfall is that the Amora Gem can only be sold in countries that are not patent blocked.  There’s too much history to get into right now, but if you go to the BetterThanDiamond website or simply google Amora Gem, you will get all the info you need.  Just be aware that the Amora Gem is not the same as amora enhaced moissanite.  They are not Forever Briliant.  That is a product offered by C&C. 

• DrAtkins
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: March 2014 - A castle

@sparklediva:  

@chocolatejazz:  Everything sparklediva mentioned is true BUT the catch with the amora gem is that it violates the US patent rights that C&C holds over the moissanite process. This means that if you live in the US or other “banned” countries you can’t get the amora gem. Right now there is a waiting list for 8 mm, 8.5 mm, and 9 mm. I think I remember you said you wanted 3/4 carat, which is about 6 mm and not yet made by them. If you did get the amora gem you’d need to be put on a waiting list and set up a mail forwarding service in New Zealand or South Korea to be able to get the gem (bc of the patent war).

This is another reason why the amora enhancement is also off the market now I believe. The forever brilliant was C&C’s way to keep up with BTD on their Amora treatment. First rounds of forever brilliants supposedly had a coating/surface treatment done to make them whiter, but the newer ones go through a high temperature, high pressure process to make them whiter and the newest ones are supposedly from a whiter rough to begin with and do not under go any heat/pressure treatment from what I have read.

• DrAtkins
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: March 2014 - A castle

@chocolatejazz:  I think there are still a few amora treated moissanites floating around in the larger sizes that you can still purchase (if you look hard enough). Lots of bees on the boards have enhancements that are from Mira (the first version of Amora introduced by BTD), Amora (the more recent enhancemnt, also BTD version), and then the Forever Brilliant (which is the only one produced by C&C using their sister company Serenity Technologies to do the enhancing).

Since C&C holds all the moissy patents until 2015, they basically forced the Amora off the market and introduced the FB stones as their own alternate, enhanced option for moissanites. The patent C&C holds on moissy expires in 2015, so who knows what will happen. There could be a number of companies that decide to join the moissanite race and start coming up with their own products. Some bees are worried that the markets will be flooded and thus the value of the moissanite will plummet, but I’m not really sure this is the case. Most of the cost that goes into a moissanite ring is in the setting, not necessarily the center stone. I think this will open up the market to new and better enhancements and actually will give the consumer more options and benefit us the most.

There are different “grades” of moissanite, just as there are different grades of diamonds, people just don’t talk about it as much. JTV.com has the less desirable grades that have some inclusions and more color to them, hence why they set them in sterling silver and not gold. 

There are also several other online retailers:

betterthandiamond.com

moissaniteco.com

moissanitebridal.com

discountmoissanite.com

LOTS of custom, beautiful stuff by people on Etsy.