Moissanite is silicon carbide, not diamond and not cubic zirconia. It is harder than any other simulant, has more dispersion (fire) than diamond, and costs a fraction as much. For wholesale buyers the practical questions are which grade to buy and how to specify it.
The 4Cs, applied to moissanite
| Attribute | What to specify | Commercial note |
|---|---|---|
| Cut | Round brilliant or specified fancy shape; "Hearts & Arrows" on request | Cut drives brilliance more than any other factor |
| Colour | D–F (colourless) or G–J (near-colourless) | D–F carries a premium; G–J is fine for most fashion lines |
| Clarity | VVS or VS, eye clean | Moissanite is normally eye clean; inclusions are rare |
| Carat | Specify in millimetres for melee, carat for centre stones | Moissanite is lighter than diamond: 6.5 mm round ≈ 1.0 ct equivalent |
Moissanite compared
| Property | Moissanite | Lab grown diamond | Cubic zirconia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composition | Silicon carbide | Carbon | Zirconium dioxide |
| Hardness (Mohs) | 9.25 | 10 | 8–8.5 |
| Refractive index | 2.65–2.69 | 2.42 | 2.15–2.18 |
| Dispersion (fire) | 0.104 — highest | 0.044 | 0.058–0.066 |
| Durability for daily wear | Excellent | Excellent | Poor — clouds and scratches |
| Cost at 1 ct equivalent | Low | Higher | Lowest |
Which grades are worth paying for
- Always pay for cut. A well-cut G-colour stone outperforms a poorly cut D-colour stone in the hand, every time.
- Colour: buy to your channel. Bridal and premium retail justify D–F. Marketplace and gift lines sell perfectly well at G–J.
- Clarity: VVS is rarely necessary. VS is eye clean and cheaper; the saving is better spent on cut or setting quality.
- Certification: selective. GRA on volume lines, explicit grading on centre stones above 0.5 ct equivalent.
Common mistakes buyers make
- Specifying carat weight without millimetres — moissanite density differs from diamond, so the two are not interchangeable.
- Comparing quotations without fixing colour and clarity first, which makes the cheaper quote look like a better deal.
- Buying the lightest possible setting to hit a price point; prong and shank weight drives how long the piece survives daily wear.
- Assuming all plating is equal. Rhodium below roughly 0.1 microns wears through on rings within months.
- Mixing moissanite and cubic zirconia in one order without a written specification, then receiving CZ melee by mistake.
A specification template you can reuse
Stone: moissanite, D–F colour, VS clarity, round brilliant cut, 6.5 mm (1.0 ct equivalent), GRA certificate; metal: 925 sterling silver, rhodium plated min. 0.1 micron, nickel-free; setting: four-prong; weight: 2.8 g ±5%; packing: individual poly bag, branded card; MOQ 20 pcs; lead time 7–15 days.
Send that sentence to any supplier and compare the replies. The differences you see will be specification differences, not pricing magic.
Sizing moissanite against diamond equivalents
| Round size (mm) | Diamond carat equivalent | Typical wholesale use |
|---|---|---|
| 4.0 mm | 0.25 ct | Stud earrings, accent stones |
| 5.0 mm | 0.50 ct | Entry bridal, studs |
| 6.5 mm | 1.00 ct | The volume bridal size |
| 8.0 mm | 2.00 ct | Statement bridal, gifting |
| 9.0 mm | 2.75 ct | Statement rings, pendants |
Because moissanite has a lower specific gravity than diamond, the two do not share carat weights at the same measured size. Specify millimetres when the visual size matters, carat equivalent when your customer buys by the familiar number.
Choosing a setting for a moissanite centre stone
Moissanite is durable at 9.25 Mohs, but it is not indestructible and its high dispersion means the cut quality is visible from across a counter. For a centre stone of 6.5 mm or above, specify a four- or six-prong setting with a protective gallery, and avoid tension settings for stones over 7 mm. For melee, pavé and channel settings work well provided the metal is thick enough to hold the stones — under-weight channels lose stones and generate the returns that erase a wholesale margin.