Whether to choose a diamond or a moissanite is actually a matter of choice. Moissanite is gorgeous, eye-catching jewelry and is budget-friendly. It does, however, represent a far less valuable financial investment, meaning the market and resale value is lower. It really depends on what the purchase is for.

To the untrained eye, it is almost impossible to tell the two apart. Moissanite and diamonds cannot be told apart without the patented Model 590 Charles and Colvard, Ltd. tester. Viewed at a certain distance from the naked eye under the illumination of a penlight, you will know a moissanite double refraction of light. This will show up in a rainbow pattern that is not present in diamonds.

If there is the presence of miniscule pipe-like inclusions under magnification, that would indicate that the stone under examination is a moissanite.

The most significant difference between diamonds and moissanite is that of industrial applications. A diamond has a legendary value as 'anvil material' that moissanite does not have owing to its inherent elasticity under extreme heat conditions. Moissanite is unstable at temperatures exceeding 400 degrees and is quite unreliable at temperatures reaching 1000 degrees. Moissanite also has so-called ""shear stress"" properties.

After further development in the manufacturing process, it is possible that moissanite will match diamond's industrial value. Currently, diamond is still the best for industrial-grade hardness.

Have you heard about "The Four Cs of Diamonds?"- cut, clarity, color, and carat determine diamond grade. A diamond certificate is provided for each diamond and includes grades for each of the four Cs as documented by a gemologist.

Cut refers to the physical cut, not the shape of the diamond; it affects the brilliance of the diamond. If the cut is too shallow or too deep, the refraction of the light detracts from the brilliance. Grades for cut include Ideal, premium, very good, good, fair and poor. Noe that only the round diamonds have the ideal grade.

Clarity measures the purity of the diamond. Most diamonds include some flaws, called inclusions. All but the rare flawless diamonds contain inclusions of varying numbers and sizes. The purity of the diamond is measured. Clarity grades the appearance under 10X magnification. Top grades include F (flawless- you'll never see this), IF (internally flawless, you'll never afford it), VVS1-VVS2 (very, very slightly flawed-This is a ittle more realistic), VS1-VS2 (very slightly flawed), and SI1-SI2 (slightly flawed). All but the VS1-VS2 and SI1-SI2 diamonds contain flaws that are invisible or barely visible under 10X magnification. Lesser grades include I1- -I3 (flawed and obvious without magnification). If price is a consideration, then invisible to the naked eye is the way to go.

Color suggests the absence of color in diamonds. The finest diamonds are colorless, which allows them to absorb and reflect more light, allowing more brilliance. White diamonds range from ice white to light yellow. Color is graded on a scale from D-Z, with D-grade diamonds being colorless and Z-grade diamonds containing the most color. Grades G-J are near colorless to the human eye, and offer the best value for the money.

Carat refers to weight. Large diamonds are rare so the price rises exponentially rather than arithmetically according to carat weight.