Moissanite was first found in 1893 by the French chemist Henri Moissan, in rock samples from the Canyon Diablo meteorite crater in Arizona. It is silicon carbide. Natural moissanite is extremely rare, so the moissanite in jewellery today, including every Mariqe stone, is grown in a laboratory. It is lab grown, not mined, and does not come from meteorites.
What Henri Moissan found in 1893
Moissan was examining samples from the crater near Canyon Diablo, Arizona, left by a meteorite impact. He found tiny, hard, sparkling crystals and took them for diamonds. In 1904 he identified them correctly as silicon carbide, a compound of silicon and carbon. The mineral was named moissanite in his honour in 1905.
One caution, so you hear it from us first. Some accounts note that Moissan's discovery of natural silicon carbide was disputed for a time, because his sample may have been contaminated by silicon carbide saw blades. Natural moissanite has since been confirmed elsewhere, so the mineral is real. The exact story of the first crystals is less tidy than the legend.
Where natural moissanite turns up
Natural silicon carbide is found in only minute quantities. Until the 1950s, only tiny grains in meteorites were known. In 1958 it was found in the Green River Formation in Wyoming, and in 1959 as inclusions in kimberlite from a diamond mine in Yakutia. It also occurs as inclusions in diamonds and in certain ultramafic rocks.
Some of the grains in meteorites such as the Murchison meteorite are older than the solar system. Astronomers reported in January 2020 that silicon carbide grains from that meteorite were presolar material. Those grains are far too small to cut. Natural gem quality moissanite is not used in jewellery because of its rarity.
How it became a gemstone
Silicon carbide was made in a laboratory before Moissan ever found it in nature. Edward Acheson synthesised it in 1891, heating clay and powdered coke, and called it carborundum. It became an industrial material, used for abrasives, brake discs, semiconductors and LEDs. Virtually all the silicon carbide sold in the world, including moissanite jewellery, is synthetic.
Gem quality crystals came later. In 1995, C3 Inc. formed Charles & Colvard to commercialise them, and moissanite reached jewellery markets in 1998. The original patents had expired worldwide by 2018, which is one reason many brands now sell it.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1891 | Acheson synthesises silicon carbide in a laboratory |
| 1893 | Moissan finds crystals in samples from the Canyon Diablo crater and takes them for diamonds |
| 1904 | Moissan identifies the crystals as silicon carbide |
| 1905 | The mineral is named moissanite |
| 1958 and 1959 | Found in Wyoming and in Yakutia kimberlite |
| 1998 | Lab grown moissanite introduced to jewellery markets |
| 2018 | The original process patents have expired worldwide |
Sources: Wikipedia, Moissanite and Wikipedia, Silicon carbide, checked 1 October 2026.
Is moissanite from space, then?
Its discovery is. Its supply is not. Mariqe's stones are lab grown, not mined, and conflict free. They are not cut from meteorite material, and nobody could cut a jewellery stone from it. The meteorite story is the reason the mineral has its name. It is not a claim about what is on your ear or finger.
Moissanite is also its own gem. It is not diamond, and it does not need to be. Its refractive index is 2.65 against a diamond's 2.42, and it scores 9.25 on the Mohs hardness scale against diamond's 10. Diamond is harder. Moissanite is hard enough for daily wear, and its sparkle has a different character, with more flashes of colour.
Some people find it moving to wear a material that was first seen in a crater and is now grown with care. Others simply like a clear stone at a fair price. Either is a good reason. If someone asks whether yours is real, our guide what to say when someone asks if it is real has a calm answer, and the fact that it is a real mineral with a real history is a good place to start.
Who makes the stones Mariqe sells
Mariqe is an Australian company, ECOM CULTURE PTY LTD. The stones are cut and the pieces assembled overseas. Each stone comes with a GRA report and a unique certification code, which is a record of the stone, not an independent valuation. Our GRA certificate guide explains what it covers. The metal is 925 sterling silver with platinum or 18k gold plating, backed by a Lifetime Moissanite Warranty.
What this means for you
You can tell the meteorite story with confidence, as long as you tell it accurately: a chemist found the mineral in 1893 near a meteorite crater, natural crystals are too rare and tiny to use, and the stones in jewellery are grown in a laboratory. That version is true, and it is more interesting than the myth.
Eterna Stud Earrings
Six-prong lab grown moissanite studs in 925 sterling silver with platinum or 18k gold plating, from $88 for the pair at 1 carat in each earring (checked 1 October 2026), backed by the Lifetime Moissanite Warranty.
See sizes and pricesFrequently asked questions
Who discovered moissanite?
The French chemist Henri Moissan found it in 1893 in samples from the Canyon Diablo meteorite crater in Arizona. He first thought the crystals were diamonds and identified them as silicon carbide in 1904.
Is moissanite made from meteorites?
No. Natural moissanite has been found in meteorites, but only as tiny grains. Jewellery moissanite, including every Mariqe stone, is grown in a laboratory.
Is natural moissanite used in jewellery?
No. Natural moissanite occurs in only minute quantities, so natural gem quality stones are not used in jewellery. Virtually all moissanite jewellery is lab grown.
Why is it called moissanite?
It was named in 1905 in honour of Henri Moissan, the chemist who first found it in 1893.