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Moissanite is stone with an incredible history and impressive qualities. If you’re researching the stone and trying to decide if it comes in the colors you’re most interested in, read on…

So, what color is Moissanite? Like diamonds, Moissanite comes if a range of shades ranging from clear and colorless to something with strong yellow or brown tones. As with diamonds, clearer stones sell at a premium. It’s possible through various processes to change the appearance of stone, enabling a wider range of fancy colors.

Lots of people are choosing Moissanite for their engagement rings and wedding rings today, but there’s a lot to know about the stone before making an informed decision. Color is an important component, so we’ll dive into those details. Stick with us…

Does Moissanite Get Graded for Color?

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is a non-profit group, founded in 1931, and dedicated to doing research and providing standards for gems and precious stones. The famous 4 C’s (cut, color, clarity, and carat weight), are now used as the industry standard for grading diamonds were created by GIA in the early 1940’s.

Diamonds are graded for color using an alphabetical scale. A “D” is the grade that represents the most colorless diamond. As you continue to move through E, F, G, and so on, the diamond gets less clear and often has overtones of yellow or brown.    

  • Colorless: (D-E-F),
  • Near colorless: (G-H-I)
  • Slightly tinted: (J-K)

GIA currently grades diamonds, both earth mined and synthetic (man-made), on this same color scale, but they don’t grade any simulated diamonds. That means that they won’t grade Moissanite for color (or any of the 3 C’s). Similarly, they won’t grade a Cubic Zirconia, white Sapphire, Morganite, or any similar diamond alternatives.

Even though GIA isn’t currently grading simulated stones, there may be other organizations that will grade Moissanite. Don’t put a lot of weight in a grade from an unknown agency. All of them can grade differently. They may have both different standards and different terminology.

Jewelers will often use GIA’s rating scale for color to unofficially communicate about a stone’s clarity. For example, they might say that one Moissanite stone is approximately a “D” for color, while another is more like an “I.” At the end of the day, no rating scale can beat just picking a stone up and looking at it carefully to ensure you like the color and sparkle that it produces.

Is Moissanite Naturally Colorless?

Like diamonds, Moissanite ranges in color from clear and colorless to a shade of yellow or brown. The most clear Moissanite stones would be similar to GIA’s “D” rating for diamonds (The rating they give the clearest ones). The clearer the Moissanite, the more it’s going to sell for.

Clear Moissanites sells for more because it isn’t the most common and available. Most Moissanite, again, like diamonds, have some degree of yellow tint to them. It’s faint and almost unnoticeable in some stones but super obvious in others.

I’ve looked for Moissanite sources that offer excellent price and quality options. To see the Moissanite manufacturer that I trust and recommend, click here.

Does The Color of Moissanite Change Over Time?

The color of Moissanite won’t change over time. It’s a stone that is essentially as stable, and durable, as diamond. The brilliance of the ring could dull and diminish with time, due to dirt and oil build-up, but that can easily be washed away to restore the ring to its former brilliance.

Will Moissanite Get Cloudy?

Moissanite is a stable stone that will not get cloudy with time the way that many of the original crop of Cubic Zirconia have through the years. Moissanite is a very hard stone with a 9.25 rating on Mohs Scale of Hardness.

This means that Moissanite is extremely scratch resistant. Scratches can dull the appearance of wedding rings over time, particularly, when oils collect in those surface scars. Moissanite’s hardness really protects your ring from this kind of visible damage.  

How Does the Size of the Moissanite affect its Appearance?

Moissanite is a bit more reflective than diamond. Larger stones (over one carat), in particular, have a tendency to display a yellow or green hue in certain lighting, or from particular angles for a moment. It’s not something that everyone would see or notice, but it’s something that you may become aware of and notice occasionally.

For most Moissanite owners, it isn’t a big deal at all … just something they’ve observed and noted. If you want to decrease the likelihood that you’ll experience the same thing, you should keep the stone in your ring to one carat or less.

On the other end of the spectrum, if your Moissanite is too small, it may lack a lot of fire and brilliance. Extremely small stones could look somewhat dull and lifeless…regardless of the color or clarity of the ring. Tiny stones lack vibrancy, simply because it’s so difficult to carve as many facets and angles into a very small stone, as you might be able to fit on a larger stone.

While Moissanite isn’t typically completely colorless, the smaller the stone, the more colorless it appears to be. Colorless Moissanite, like diamonds, sells at higher prices than stones that have any degree yellow or brown tinting.

How is Moissanite Colored?

If you feel like wearing a Moissanite Engagement Ring that’s something other than a traditional clear stone, there are now colored options available too. Most colored Moissanite is made using a process called Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) to coat the bottom half of a stone with a bonding agent, followed by a thin layer of coloring. The color shows through the stone from the bottom half, giving the appearance that the entire stone is the color of the coating all the way through.

This coloring process allows manufacturers to apply fancy colors to stones that were perhaps too yellow to meet the needs and desires of consumers. Through this process, a yellowish ring could become a gold ring, a brown ring, or a green ring, for example.

The color coating that’s applied to the stone is permanent. You shouldn’t notice any kind of flaking or fading. Temperatures over 1020 degrees Fahrenheit can damage the coating, but unless you plan to visit the surface of the sun, or live in Arizona, you’re unlikely to ever experience heat like that (wink to Arizonans).

If you have a Moissanite ring that has been coated this way, you’ll need to be careful about cleaning the ring. Gently scrubbing the ring with a soft-bristled toothbrush, warm water, and dish soap is a great approach. Ultrasonic cleaners can damage the color coating at times.

You should proactively point out the fact that you have the color coating on the underside of your ring if you take it in for repair work too. The coating can scratch off, so you’ll need them to exercise caution as they work with the ring to avoid unintentional damage.

What Colors Can Moissanite Come In?

Moissanite can come in nearly any color you can imagine. Stones in various shades of yellow, pink, green, purple, blue, brown, gold and grey, to name a few of the common colors.

These are some of the best fancy colored Moissanite stones and finished rings that I’ve been able to find as examples:

Loose Fancy Colored Moissanite:

There are many Moissanite color options available. These are all loose Moissanite stones that you can have mounted on a setting of your choice by a local jeweler. Beautiful, and remarkably affordable, all of the following stones range from $12 to $80!

If you’re more interested in a pre-assembled (ready-to-go) ring, here are a few fancy colored options in a really attractive price range ($250 or less).

Since Moissanite is so much less expensive than diamond, you could have multiple Moissanite rings in different colors and styles to match your mood and outfits for the less than the cost of one diamond ring.

To find an inexpensive source of quality Moissanite, check out our most trusted suppliers.

Related Questions

Will Moissanite Scratch?

It’s possible for a Moissanite stone to get scratched, however, Moissanite is an extremely hard and scratch resistant stone, so you don’t have to guard it quite as much as softer stones. On the Mohs Scale of Hardness, Moissanite is rated at 9.25, while Diamonds are rated at 10. Compared with other diamond alternatives, Moissanite wedding rings are extremely durable because of their relative hardness.

Does Moissanite Look Like Real Diamond?

Moissanite’s appearance is extremely similar to diamond. A trained eye would likely be able to tell that a Moissanite stone isn’t a diamond if they inspected it. The sparkle of the stone (the fire and brilliance) are some indicators they might use. Moissanite is more fiery than diamond. It’s a beautiful effect, just not exactly the same as diamond upon close inspection. Moissanite is a beautiful stone in its own right, not just when used as a diamond replacement.

I like to think of Diamond and Moissanite at ‘doppelgangers.’ They have completely different DNA, but look almost identical. Most people would assume that the stone on your Moissanite Wedding Ring is a diamond.

Which Colored Stones Work Best for Engagement Rings?

If you’re looking to add some color to your Engagement or Wedding Ring, the following options are worth considering. Each of these stones is are considered to be relatively hard. Any stone that’s rated at less than a 7 on Mohs Scale of Hardness is extremely prone to scratching.

  • Colored Moissanite (9.25). Available in a wide range of colors.
  • Sapphires (9). Available in a wide range of colors.
  • Rubies (9). Rubies come in shades of red.
  • Emeralds (8). Emeralds come in various shades of green.
  • Topaz (8). Available in a wide range of colors.

Each of these stones have beautiful color, and are rated at 8 or higher in terms of hardness, so they’ll be more durable than other options on the market.

Related Posts:

Why Does Moissanite Look Yellow? | Finding Colorless Stones

Moissanite is Cheaper Than Diamond – 6 Key Reasons Why

When Does Moissanite Look Fake? | The 3 Main Giveaways