What in the World Is Moissanite? The Worlds Newest Jewelry Stone
Moissanite is a naturally occurring crystal which occurs in such small amounts and sizes as to be uncommercial.
It was discovered in 1893 by Henri Moissan in a meteorite which had fallen to earth some 50000 years ago and landed in the Arizona desert. Dr Moissan started studying small fragments from this meteorite and made an astonishing discovery. Imbedded in it were tiny amounts of what looked like a new unknown jewel.
Although it occurs naturally on earth it is only in tiny quantities and commercially unviable.
Scientists could see its potential as a brilliant new jewelry stone and so set out to manufacture it in a lab. It’s application as a jewel was immediately clear and so a new naturally occurring but also man made jewel was born. The process of making it is very new. It has only been commercially available in jewelry since 1998, so is only a few years old on the jewelry market.
It is exceedingly hard to make and the process to do so is kept very secret. It can only currently be made in reasonably small quantities.
There are a number of properties of jewels...