Say what it is: moissanite. That is the complete answer, not a dodge, in the same way you would say a ring is white gold rather than platinum. Moissanite is its own gemstone, first identified in 1893, and grown today specifically for jewellery. It is not a diamond, and it does not need to be mistaken for one to be genuine.
The question is actually two questions
People asking "is it real" are usually asking one of two different things, and it helps to know which one you are answering. The first is "is that an actual gemstone, or costume jewellery": yes, moissanite is silicon carbide, a crystalline material with its own hardness, refractive index and grading standards. The second question, often unspoken, is "is that a diamond": no, and saying otherwise would be the one dishonest answer available to you. Moissanite is not a diamond. It is not trying to be. It is a gemstone with its own identity, and the honest answer holds up under any follow-up question because none of it is a stretch.
Why it can pass a diamond tester
This is usually where the conversation actually goes, because it is the detail people have heard about and half remember. Older handheld diamond testers work by measuring thermal conductivity, how fast a stone pulls heat away from the probe. Diamond conducts heat exceptionally well, and so, it turns out, does moissanite. When moissanite reached the jewellery market in the late 1990s, thermal-only testers could not tell the two apart, and moissanite reads as diamond on them. Our guide to whether moissanite passes a diamond test sets out which tests do separate them.
Testers built since then add a second check, electrical conductivity, where diamond and moissanite behave differently and a combined tester can usually separate them. It is not a perfect system either way: a small number of natural and lab grown diamonds carry trace boron, which makes them electrically conductive too, so even a combined tester occasionally misreads a real diamond as moissanite. The honest summary is that a diamond tester alone was never a reliable way to prove a stone is diamond, moissanite exposed that gap rather than created it.
Mariqe states plainly in its own product information that its moissanite passes the diamond test. That claim is about the thermal response of the stone, not a suggestion that it is undetectable by every method available to a jeweller. A trained gemmologist with a loupe, or a lab, can identify moissanite reliably.
The numbers behind the sparkle
If someone wants the actual gemmological case rather than a one-line answer, this is it. The numbers are not close, and they explain why moissanite looks the way it does rather than looking like an imitation of something else.
| Property | Moissanite | Diamond |
|---|---|---|
| Mohs hardness | 9.25 | 10 |
| Refractive index | 2.65 | 2.42 |
| Dispersion (fire) | 0.104 | 0.044 |
The refractive index is why moissanite throws more light back at the eye than diamond does. The dispersion figure, roughly two and a half times diamond's, is why that light comes back split into more visible colour, the flashes of red and blue people notice in bright light or under photography. To a gemmologist, that stronger fire is itself a way of telling the two stones apart at a glance, it is not a flaw to hide, it is moissanite's own signature.
What is actually in the box
Each Mariqe stone ships with a GRA certificate and a unique certification code, which records the stone's measurements and stated grade. It is worth being precise about what that is: GRA is not GIA or IGI, and the certificate is not an appraisal or proof of resale value. It documents the stone's specifications and is a record rather than an independent valuation. A full explanation of what the certificate does and does not cover is here: what a GRA certificate is actually worth.
On origin: moissanite exists naturally, but only in microscopic traces. Henri Moissan identified it in 1893 in material from the Canyon Diablo meteorite crater in Arizona, and for years afterward, by his own account, he assumed he had found diamond. It took further analysis to establish it was a different mineral entirely, silicon carbide, later named moissanite in his honour. Natural moissanite large enough to cut has never been found in commercial quantity. Every gem-quality moissanite sold today, including Mariqe's, is grown in a laboratory. None of it comes from meteorites.
Three ways to answer, depending on who is asking
The tone of the question usually tells you what kind of answer it wants.
- Someone being friendly. "It's moissanite" is the whole answer. Nobody asking to make conversation needs the gemmology.
- Someone testing you. State it flatly: moissanite, lab grown, 9.25 on the Mohs scale, comes with its own grading certificate. Said without hesitation, it closes the conversation, because there is nothing in it to catch you out on.
- Someone who genuinely wants to know. This is the conversation worth having in full: what moissanite is, why it can read as diamond on an older tester, and what the certificate in the box actually documents. Curiosity answered honestly tends to land better than a rehearsed line.
What this means for you
You are not defending a fake. You are naming a real gemstone accurately, the same way you would name any other material in a piece of jewellery. The moment only feels awkward if you treat the question as an accusation. It is usually just a question, and moissanite has a straightforward, verifiable answer to it.
Eterna Solitaire Ring
A six-prong round moissanite solitaire in 925 sterling silver with platinum or 18k gold plating. Choose 1, 2 or 3 carat. From $79, with a Lifetime Moissanite Warranty.
See sizes and pricesFrequently asked questions
Is moissanite a real gemstone?
Yes. Moissanite is silicon carbide, a crystalline mineral with its own hardness, refractive index and grading standards. It is a genuine gemstone in its own right, not an imitation material.
Is moissanite a diamond?
No. It is a different mineral with different optical and physical properties. It is not a lesser version of diamond, it is a separate gemstone that happens to share the setting styles diamonds are usually cut for.
Will moissanite pass a diamond tester?
Older thermal-conductivity testers cannot tell moissanite from diamond, because both conduct heat well, and moissanite reads as diamond on them. Testers that also check electrical conductivity can usually separate the two, though a small number of diamonds with trace boron can still misread as moissanite. A trained gemmologist can identify moissanite reliably regardless of tester type.
Does moissanite come from a meteorite?
Moissanite was first identified in 1893 in material from a meteorite crater in Arizona, but natural moissanite of gem quality has never been found in workable quantity. Every gem-quality moissanite sold today, including Mariqe's, is grown in a laboratory rather than mined.
What does the GRA certificate in the box prove?
It confirms the stone's identity and documents its measurements and stated grade, under a unique certification code. It is not equivalent to a GIA or IGI report, and it is not an appraisal of resale value.