Weekly Special

Questions?
Please contact us via email

That chipping problem:  Both Asha� and Moissanite are harder and more
durable than sapphire. Until the invention of man-made gems such as
Moissanite and Asha�, Sapphire held the spot as being the next hardest
gemstone behind diamond. Moissanite is approximately 9.25 on the Mohs
hardness scale, and Asha� is approximately 9.00.

However, any jeweler who has spent much time setting Moissanite will tell
you it chips *quite* easily. We have replaced customer's moissanite who
had a huge chip taken out of the side of the stone.  Now, if you read the
Moissanite warranty carefully, you will notice that there is no coverage in
case it chips....wonder why? 

By comparison, Asha� fully covers against chipping.

What are they made of / Are Moissanites really "man-made diamonds"?:  
Some people have been misled by moissanite dealers to think that moissanite is a
"man-made diamond". That is simply not true. True man-made diamond can
only be composed of 99.9% carbon, in an isometric crystal structure - the
same chemical composition as mined diamonds.  Moissanite has no diamond
crystal in it, and should never be referred to as a man-made diamond. 
(See our Takara cultured diamonds website here for info on what a real man-made diamond is).

 
If any vendor tells you moissanite is a man-made diamond, ask them for an
EGL or GIA diamond grading report on it - they won't have it, because it is not
diamond. By contrast, our Takara's come with EGL fancy diamond grading
reports, because they are real diamond, just not mined.

Asha� is unique in the simulant world in that it does actually contain small
amounts of microscopic diamond crystal, in a form termed 'amorphous
diamond'. This is part of the reason Asha� has a true diamond-like luster,
because the outer layer that light passes through contains microscopic
diamond crystals. However, Asha�, just like Moissanite, is a diamond
simulant and not a "man-made diamond".