7 Jewelry Terms You Need to Know

Windowing

Windowing is an optical phenomenon where light passes through a gemstone without undergoing refraction. It is characterized by either the observer looking through the stone at certain angles, or the presence of dark areas in the stone caused by light leakage through the window. An expertly cut stone should reflect so much light that no background is visible when viewed straight down through the top of the stone without any tilt. However, tilting the stone even slightly changes the angles of light hitting the pavilion facets, and each gemstone has a specific range of tilt brilliance. Gemstones with lower refractive indices require less tilting to exhibit windowing.

Durability

Durability refers to the capacity of a material to endure exposure to temperature and chemicals without disintegrating or being damaged. In this regard, Moissanite is known for its impressive durability, particularly in comparison to other gemstones such as cubic zirconia or emerald. During jewelry manufacturing and repairs, Moissanite can easily withstand temperature variations, and its vaporization temperature surpasses that of diamond, reaching up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Furthermore, Moissanite is highly stable when subjected to diverse chemicals, solutions, and acids typically used in jewelry manufacturing and repair. Unlike less stable gemstones, it can resist damage from these substances, making it a reliable choice for use in jewelry..

Hardness

Hardness refers to a gemstone's resistance to being scratched or abraded and is commonly expressed as a number ranking (1 being the softest and 10 being the hardest) on the Mohs relative hardness scale.

With a Mohs hardness of 9.25, Moissanite is considered one of the hardest gemstones on Earth. Its exceptional hardness renders it highly resistant to scratches and abrasions, even after prolonged daily use.

In comparison to other popular diamond alternate's, such as Diamond Nexus (CZ), Russian Brilliants (CZ), or Sona Diamond (CZ), Moissanite exhibits significantly superior hardness, surpassing them by more than double (120%) on the Mohs scale.

Toughness

Toughness is a gemstone's ability to resist breaking or chipping under force and pressure, which is determined by the atomic and chemical structure of the material. This property can vary significantly within a gemstone. While both diamond and Moissanite are rated as excellent in toughness, Moissanite has a distinct atomic structure that lacks the cleavage direction found in diamond, which is sometimes considered a structural weakness. Therefore, Moissanite is generally considered to have higher overall toughness than diamond.

Luster

Luster refers to the amount of light that is reflected from the surface of a gemstone back to the observer. Moissanite, in addition to displaying superior fire and brilliance, has an 18% greater luster than diamond and a 50% greater luster than cubic zirconia (CZ).

Brilliance & Refractive Index

The refractive index is a metric used to gauge a gemstone's capacity to bend, slow down, and reflect light. The higher the refractive index, the greater the gemstone's brilliance. Brilliance, on the other hand, refers to the white light flashes that emanate from a gemstone's top and sides.

Brilliance is the flashes of white light exiting the top and sides of a gemstone.

Moissanite's remarkable refractive index sets it apart as the most brilliant high-quality gemstone available today.

Fire (Dispersion)

Fire or dispersion is the phenomenon where light enters a gemstone and is dispersed into its spectral colors. It is commonly observed as flashes of colored light. Compared to diamond, Moissanite has 2.5 times more fire or dispersion, which results in a more colorful and vibrant display of spectral colors.

Moissanite has 250% the fire of diamond