[Jewelry making - Article 00234] - Re: [Orchid] Choice of Diamond Simulants

[thegemdoctor]

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    To start with it's "Synthetic Moissanite", not Moissanite, more
    correctly, Silicon Carbide or SiC, another thing I have been given to
    understand that Henri's diamond research was quite flawed. I'm told
    that he was quite talented at turning gem quality diamonds into
    Carbon Dioxide gas and later became famous for isolating Fluoron or
    some such. I find the use of his name amusingly appropriate. 

    Either I have only got to play with really really bad ones or some of
    you have been seeing some unbelievably good ones.  The local
    jewellery trade term "white and bright" refers to sellable "gem"
    quality diamonds, I have never seen a SiC that would qualify. I would
    never buy the diamond that that a SiC is supposed to simulate no
    matter how cheaply it was offered. 

    I have to agree with Craig, this stone is so mired in hyperbole it is
    difficult to see the quality. It is an investment opportunity
    matched only by the one seized by the purchasers of the first digital
    watches. 

    I have a big problem contradicting Peter W.Rowe as his points and
    opinions tend to be definitive so I hope that his arguments are based
    on scientific fact and physical properties rather than observation.
    As a gem cutter, or more correctly gem repair guy, I have now seen
    way more of this stuff than I would like, although I don't seem to be
    getting the repair work via our "highly amused by it all" local
    diamond cutter, as much as I used to. Cutting and polishing SiC is
    certainly easier and quicker than either sapphire or CZ as there is
    no directional hardness like sapphire or the polishing problems that
    some CZ present. 

    "useful life of a stone" I agree has much to do with the properties
    of the gem but I have found that the hardness and toughness of the
    wearer to be a more significant factor in degradation. By extreme
    examples, I have repolished an opal that had 80 years of use and
    required only minimal work to remove the few scratches and pits and
    by contrast a Sapphire that had the facets completely obliterated in
    less than 3 months. Oh yes, I have had repeat repolishing work on
    synthetic moissanite and it was within a year. In theory this stuff
    is more durable than sapphire, in practice this means you might get
    a couple of weeks more before you notice it needs repolishing. The
    Rockwell on this stuff is almost the same as sapphire NOT almost the
    same as diamond. 

    There are some people who will enjoy many many years of pleasure with
    their opal or tanzanite rings and there are those that nothing less
    than a diamond will keep them out of my shop. I am willing to
    guarantee that if rings with 3 stones, CZ, SiC and Sapphire were
    handed out, by the time any wearer notices that any of the stones
    need repolishing, examination will show that they all need it. I'm
    also willing to bet it's the middle stone that gets noticed first,
    whatever the arrangement. 

    The other small point was exclusivity, a recent repolishing quote was
    declined as the stone in question was to be replaced at LESS than my
    charge from their Asian supplier. I guess the guys at Union Carbide
    will eventually get up from rolling around on the floor laughing and
    exercise THEIR patent and we'll be able to get all the SiC we need
    for a buck a bucket. 

Tony.
Anthony Lloyd-Rees.
www.thegemdoctor.com
Vancouver, B.C.

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