History
Moissanite is the name given to a naturally occurring silicon carbide. It has the chemical formula (SiC) and is a rare mineral. Discovered by a French chemist Henri Moissan in 1833. Silicon carbide is useful for commercial and industrial use due to its hardness, optical properties and thermal conductivity.
properties
The crystalline structure is similar to diamond in that they have a strong covalent bonding allowing Moissanite to withstand high pressures.
Colors of Moissanite vary widely and are graded from D-K range on the diamond color grading scale.
Benefits
Moissanite is lower in price. Undergoes a less exploitative mining practice & optical properties exceeding those of diamond.
On Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness (1-10) Moissanite has been measured at a 9.25 with diamond being measured at 10 being the hardest mineral.