“Fake” usually means one of two things: a stone pretending to be something it isn't, or a stone that looks cheap. Moissanite is neither. It is its own gemstone, silicon carbide, sold as moissanite, and it is hard and bright enough to look the same in fifty years as on the day it was set. The honest question is how it looks in real life, and the answer depends on the light you see it in.
How moissanite looks in different light
A stone has no light of its own. Everything you see is light from the room, bent and split inside the stone and sent back to your eye, so the same moissanite changes character as the light around it changes.
In sunlight
Direct sun is a single, strong light, and it shows moissanite's fire at its fullest: flashes of red, orange, blue and green, sometimes thrown onto a wall or a sleeve. This is where moissanite looks most unlike diamond, and where most people fall for it.
In an office or on an overcast day
Soft light that comes from everywhere shows brilliance more than fire. The stone looks crisp, white and bright, with only small sparks of colour. In this light, which is most of daily life, moissanite and diamond look the most alike.
By candlelight and in the evening
A small, moving flame makes every facet flicker on and off. Warm evening light at a dinner table is where moissanite feels most alive: a steady shimmer rather than a burst of colour.
In photos and videos
Cameras exaggerate fire. A phone lens catches the brightest flash at full strength, and a flash or ring light turns a stone into a rainbow. That is why some moissanite photos online look like a disco ball, and why the stone looks calmer on the hand than on a screen. Our own stones are shown turning in steady studio light, so you see the sparkle you will actually live with.
What gives moissanite away
To a jeweller with a loupe, a few things set moissanite apart from diamond. None of them make it look cheap.
- More fire. Moissanite's dispersion is 0.104, diamond's 0.044. In a large stone in sunlight, the extra colour is the clearest tell.
- Doubled facet edges. Moissanite is doubly refractive. Looked at from the side under magnification, the back facet edges can look doubled. Face-up, a well-oriented stone shows no doubling.
- A tester reading. A basic thermal tester reads moissanite as diamond; a multi-tester tells them apart. More in does moissanite pass a diamond tester?
Older moissanite, from the early 2000s, often had a yellow or green tint, and that is where the “looks fake” reputation came from. Modern stones are graded on the same D-to-Z colour scale as diamond. We sell only DEF, the fully colourless top of that scale, so there is no tint under the light.
What makes a stone look cheap, and why moissanite doesn't
Stones that look fake usually do so because of wear, not because of what they are. Glass and cubic zirconia are softer, so dust and daily knocks scratch their facets, and the edges round off and turn cloudy. A cloudy stone stops returning light, and that dull look is what people read as fake. Moissanite is 9.25 on the Mohs scale, harder than sapphire, so it keeps sharp facet edges and its polish for life. See is moissanite hard enough to wear every day?
How to choose a moissanite that looks natural
- Choose a size that suits the hand. A stone that is very large for the wearer's hand and lifestyle draws questions whatever it is made of. Every stone on our site is shown at true size on a hand, so you can judge this before you buy.
- Choose colourless. A warm tint sits under every flash of colour. DEF keeps the light clean. More in our colour chart.
- Choose the cut for the sparkle you want. Brilliant cuts such as the round and radiant give the most sparkle; step cuts such as the emerald and asscher give broad, calm flashes and less colour. All ten are filmed side by side in which moissanite cut sparkles most?
- Keep it clean. A film of hand cream or soap on the back of the stone blocks light and dulls any gem. A soft brush and warm soapy water bring it back: how to clean moissanite.
See it for yourself
The best test is your own eyes. Every stone we sell is DEF colourless and VVS clarity, shown turning in the light and at true size on a hand on our stones page. If you want the science behind the sparkle, read why moissanite sparkles, or see everything we've written about light on Notes on light.
Does moissanite look fake?+
No. A well-cut, colourless moissanite looks like a bright, real gemstone. Most people can't tell it from diamond at a normal distance; a trained eye notices its stronger rainbow fire, especially in sunlight and in larger stones.
Can people tell my ring is moissanite?+
Rarely, and only up close. The usual clue is extra colour in direct sunlight. A jeweller can tell with a loupe or a multi-tester. In office light and in the evening, moissanite and diamond look very alike.
Why does moissanite look so rainbow in photos?+
Cameras and phone flashes catch the brightest flashes of colour at full strength, so moissanite's fire looks stronger on screen than to the eye. On the hand, the sparkle is calmer.
Does moissanite look cheap over time?+
No. Moissanite is 9.25 on the Mohs scale and keeps its polish and sharp facet edges for life. It doesn't cloud or yellow; if it looks dull, it needs cleaning.
Which moissanite looks most like diamond?+
A DEF colourless stone in a modest size and a brilliant cut such as the round or oval looks most like diamond. Smaller stones show less of moissanite's extra fire.