Does moissanite hold its value?

“Value” can mean two things: what a stone would sell for, and what it gives you while you own it. Moissanite scores low on the first and very high on the second. It's worth being clear about both before you buy.

What a moissanite costs

A 1.00 ct round moissanite (6.5mm) costs R 2 400 at Moissanite SA, in DEF colourless and VVS clarity, the top grades. Every size and its price is in our moissanite price guide. A diamond of the same size and colour costs many times more.

Does moissanite hold its value?

Not as money. Jewellers and pawn shops rarely buy moissanite, and there is no trade price list for second-hand stones as there is for diamond. If you sell one privately, expect to get a fraction of what you paid.

This is less of a difference from diamond than it sounds. A mined diamond bought at retail also resells for well below its price, and lab-grown diamond prices have fallen year after year, taking resale values with them. Very few people who buy a stone to wear ever get their money back on it, whatever the stone.

What it does hold: its looks

A stone's real job is to return light, and moissanite keeps doing that for life.

• It doesn't wear dull. At 9.25 on the Mohs scale, it's far harder than the dust and sand that slowly scratch softer stones. See how hard moissanite is.
• It doesn't cloud, yellow or fade. Its colour and fire are part of the crystal, not a coating, so they don't change with age.
• It's guaranteed. Every stone we sell has a lifetime warranty on its brilliance, fire and colour.

Is moissanite worth it?

If you want a large, bright, white stone that you'll wear every day, yes. You get more fire than diamond and a hardness that suits daily wear, for a fraction of diamond's price. The money you don't spend on the stone can go into a better setting, a heavier band, or simply stay in the bank.

If the stone needs to be an asset, or if a diamond's tradition matters to you or the person you're buying for, buy the diamond. We say so plainly on moissanite vs diamond, and the lab-grown diamond comparison covers the other grown stone.

Insuring a moissanite

Insure a stone or ring for what it would cost to replace, not what it would sell for. Keep the invoice and the certificate of authenticity together, and send your insurer copies. If your policy lists items individually, name it as moissanite, with its cut, size and grade.

If you ever sell one

• Describe it as moissanite, with its cut, millimetre size, carat weight (DEW) and grade.
• Include the certificate and the original invoice. Buyers pay more for a stone they can check.
• Offer a moissanite tester check. A jeweller's thermal diamond tester can read moissanite as diamond, so the honest test is a moissanite tester; see does moissanite pass a diamond tester?
• Clean it first, and photograph it in daylight. A bright stone sells better than a smeared one.

Value you can see

Every stone we sell is DEF colourless, VVS clarity, comes with a certificate of authenticity, and is shown on its page turning in real light, so you know exactly what you are buying. See every stone at true size on our stones page.