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An alternative to a diamond ring that offers the same beauty and durability, yet costs far less is a Moissanite wedding ring.

In 1893, Dr. Henri Moissan, a Nobel Prize winning scientist, discovered natural silicon carbide in Arizona. Moissan discovered the presence of very small quantities of a mineral that had fire and brilliance never before seen on Earth. In honor of Moissan, the mineral was named Moissanite in 1905. Years of research and development have brought forth special techniques to reproduce these rare crystals in a laboratory. Charles & Colvard, the sole source of Moissanite, has created this high-quality synthetic diamond.

Moissanite is available in brilliant near colorless and mystical shades of green. On a scale from 1 to 10; with a diamond being a 10, Moissanite has a hardness rating of 9. They have more fire, brilliance and luster than diamonds and their retail cost is approximately one tenth that of a diamond.

Hand cut and precisely calibrated, Moissanite bridal ring stones are available in traditional cuts including:

• Round Brilliant
• Marquis
• Oval
• Pear
• Cushion
• Princess
• Heart
• Radiant

On the diamond color index, a Moissanite rates from H to J in color, meaning they are considered near colorless. Diamonds considered an excellent to good value are in the H to J range of color. When placed in a setting, the average consumer will only see the subtle presence of color with a J grade stone. Most diamonds may appear colorless, but actually have slight tones of yellow or brown. That color can lessen a diamond's brilliance by filtering the reflected light, thus reducing the diamond's fire.

The terms used when describing the beauty of a stone include the following.

• Fire: measured by the amount of colored flashes viewed as the jewel is placed under different lighting conditions.
• Luster: the amount of light that the jewel reflects back from its surface.
• Brilliance: the amount of light that enters the jewel and is reflected back.

Moissanite wedding ring gems score higher than diamonds with respect to fire, luster and brilliance. The Moissanite is the most realistic diamond substitute ever created, and its hardness and scratch resistant properties are better than all other natural gemstones and an the synthetic Cubic Zirconia. Made from silicon and carbon through a combination of heat and pressure, a Moissanite has the closest physical properties to that of a diamond. Therefore, when tested with a conventional diamond tester, Moissanite passes as a diamond!

Just like a diamond, a Moissanite wedding ring stones will never fade, cloud or change color yet because its physical properties, a Moissanite are not graded in the same manner. Cut and carat weight are similar, but a Moissanite is less dense than a diamond, thus its weight will be different from that of a similar sized diamond.

A Moissanite wedding ring comes with a lifetime warranty and can be found at fine jewelers around the world. For those who do not want to buy diamonds but who seek to symbolize their vows with the same fire and lifetime strength as that of a diamond, a Moissanite is the right choice for you.