Love and marriage, love and marriage. They can come with a price tag that’s hard to swallow.
It’s the month of romance, when couples begin mulling over, you know, marriage. As trite as it sounds, Valentine’s Day remains one of the top choices for popping the question — second only to Christmas Day, WeddingWire reports.
So if a Valentine’s proposal is on your calendar — but you and your partner don’t have thousands stashed away in savings — consider a clever substitute for a diamond: a moissanite engagement ring.
Moissa-what? Yep, that was my reaction too.
What Is a Moissanite Engagement Ring?
One bright morning at Savinly’s offices, sunshine poured through the kitchen windows and lit up the seriously dazzling piece on senior product manager Brooke Harris’ hand.
A small group of us gathered to admire it, and she let us in on a little secret:
“This isn’t a diamond,” she revealed. She proceeded to explain the gem’s backstory, how its price compares to a diamond and how thrilled she is that her fiancé chose it.
Her grin shone almost as much as the ring, and we knew we had to share the story with Savinly readers.
The History of Moissanite
About 50,000 years ago, a meteorite struck near today’s Winslow, Arizona, creating a crater more than two miles wide and 550 feet deep. In 1893 French chemist Dr. Henri Moissan found crystals resembling diamonds in the site. He later identified them as silicon carbide. The naturally occurring silicon carbide was eventually named moissanite in his honor.
Because naturally occurring moissanite is incredibly scarce, many attempts were made to reproduce it — none succeeded until roughly a century after its initial discovery.
By 1995 the gemstone entered the jewelry market when Charles & Colvard recognized its potential as a diamond substitute. Charles & Colvard held exclusive manufacturing rights until the patent lapsed in 2016, allowing other makers to join the marketplace.
Today, moissanite engagement rings are growing in popularity and are sold by jewelers worldwide.
Moissanite vs. Diamond: How Do They Compare?
Diamonds rank among the hardest natural materials, scoring a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. Moissanite is close behind at 9.25 — not a huge gap.
Prices for moissanite engagement rings can be as low as 10% of equivalent diamond rings. For example, I compared listings on Overstock.com: a 1.5-carat diamond ring is often priced at $3,344, while a similar moissanite counterpart lists for $879.99. That’s a $2,464.01 saving you could funnel into your wedding or another priority.
Regarding sparkle, moissanite’s refractive index — how much it bends light — is higher than a diamond’s. This results in more “fire,” the dispersion of light into colors, because moissanite splits light strongly. (Of course, brilliance and fire also depend on the gem’s cut.)
How noticeable is the difference to the average observer? Some people can distinguish them, while others couldn’t when The Today Show tested both.
Why Choose Moissanite Over Diamond?
The most compelling perk of moissanite engagement rings is the cost. Couples can redirect the hundreds or thousands they save toward other wedding expenses. Weddings alone can be pricey.
The typical wedding can cost over $30,000 — a Disney ceremony can exceed $75,000 — and that figure often excludes the engagement ring and honeymoon. Some people even take out wedding loans to cover the costs. Guests also might spend quite a lot to attend the celebration.
If you’re already budgeting for the big day, why not begin with the engagement ring? Some might scoff at a lab-created gemstone for an engagement ring or feel compelled to buy a diamond due to societal expectations.
But many are drawn to moissanite beyond its price. Since it’s lab-made, you don’t have to worry about purchasing a stone that may have been sourced from conflict zones. It’s also typically considered more environmentally friendly.
Harris isn’t the only Savinly reader smitten with a moissanite ring:
Tina Russell, a photographer at Savinly, is delighted with her and her fiancé’s choice of moissanite. “We didn’t want to start our engagement in debt,” she said, “and I didn’t want anything that wasn’t ethically sourced.”
Alexa Vincent, photo coordinator, also adores her moissanite. “Five years later and it’s still holding up beautifully,” she shared.
Don’t forget the romantic allure of moissanite. Dubbed the gemstone from the stars, moissanite has earned nicknames such as “Space Diamond” and “Stardust”. Harris’ fiancé has an astronomy background, so giving the “gem of the stars” felt especially meaningful. If that isn’t romantic, I don’t know what is!
If you’re weighing ring options, consider reading about engagement ring alternatives and tips on how to buy an engagement ring without going broke.
Jordan Blake is an editorial assistant at Savinly. They adore the notion of wearing a celestial gem.
