The moissanite was first discovered in 1893 inside a meteorite crater by Henri Moissan, who later won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1906 for his work.
Henri Moissan initially discovered the mineral while examining rock samples from a meteor crater in Arizona, known as Canyon Diablo. The meteorite impact had created a unique environment that allowed the formation of various minerals that were not commonly found on Earth. Upon analyzing the rock samples, Moissan observed shimmering crystals that he initially mistook for diamonds. However, after further investigation and testing, he identified the crystals as a new mineral composed of silicon carbide (SiC). Moissan named the mineral "moissanite" in honor of his own contribution to the field of chemistry. Moissan's discovery generated significant interest in the scientific community and gem enthusiasts. However, due to the scarcity of natural moissanite, it did not become a popular gemstone for jewelry. It wasn't until the 1990s that scientists developed a method for creating moissanite in the lab, making it more accessible to the public. The mineral is very rare but does occur naturally as very small inclusions inside of diamonds, xenoliths and other ultramafic rocks as lamproite. It holds a crystalline structure with a strong covalent bonding, similar to diamonds. This allows the gemstone to withstand high pressures up to 52.1 gigapascals.
Moissanite is renowned for its high refractive index, fire dispersion, durability, and thermal conductivity. It displays a range of colors and opacities, including pink, yellow, green, although colorless is the most popular choice. These colors are graded on the diamond color grading scale, ranging from D to K. In terms of hardness, moissanite rates 9.25 on the Mohs scale, while diamond, the hardest mineral on Earth, rates 10.
Due to the scarcity of naturally occurring moissanite, it is primarily synthesized using a process called the "thermal decomposition of a volatile precursor" or the "Lely method." This technique involves subjecting a mixture of silicon and carbon to extreme temperatures, resulting in the growth of moissanite crystals. At House Of Matini, we take pride in utilizing the highest quality lab-created moissanites, which have been tested and certified by GRA, in our exquisite creations.
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