Lab-Grown Diamond Earrings vs Moissanite: Which Should You Buy?

If you've been shopping for diamond alternatives in Canada, you've almost certainly come across moissanite. It's marketed heavily as a diamond look-alike at a lower price. But now that lab-grown diamonds are available at competitive prices, the comparison has shifted. Here's an honest breakdown.

What Is Moissanite?

Moissanite is a gemstone made of silicon carbide. It was originally discovered in a meteor crater in 1893 and is now produced in laboratories for use in jewelry. It's hard (9.25 on the Mohs scale, compared to diamond's 10), brilliant, and significantly less expensive than mined diamonds.

It is not a diamond. It has different chemical and optical properties, and while it looks similar to a diamond at first glance, there are observable differences.

What Is a Lab-Grown Diamond?

A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond. Same chemical composition (pure carbon), same crystal structure, same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale), same optical properties. The only difference from a mined diamond is how it was formed in a laboratory rather than underground over billions of years.

Key Differences: Lab-Grown Diamond vs Moissanite

The diamond tester test. This is a big one. Standard diamond testers measure thermal conductivity. Moissanite conducts heat differently than diamond, many moissanite stones will fail a standard thermal diamond tester or give an inconclusive reading. Lab-grown diamonds pass every time, because they are diamonds.

More advanced testers can distinguish moissanite from diamond. If authenticity verification matters to you, only a lab-grown diamond gives you certainty.

Appearance. Both are brilliant and eye-catching. However, moissanite has a higher refractive index than diamond, which means it produces more rainbow-colored "fire", the flashes of spectral color you see in the stone. Some people love this effect. Others find it looks less like a diamond and more like a disco effect, especially in larger stones and in sunlight.

Lab-grown diamonds produce the same fire and brilliance as mined diamonds, no more, no less. They look exactly like diamonds because they are diamonds.

Hardness and durability. Both are extremely hard and suitable for everyday wear. Diamond (10) is harder than moissanite (9.25), but in practical terms, both will last a lifetime with normal care.

Price. Moissanite is generally less expensive than lab-grown diamonds of comparable size. However, the gap has narrowed significantly as lab-grown diamond prices have dropped. For many stone sizes, the difference in price is now modest, making the question of which to choose less about budget and more about what you want.

Perceived value and authenticity. A lab-grown diamond is a diamond. When someone asks if your earrings are real diamonds, the answer is yes, with no asterisk. With moissanite, the honest answer is no. For many buyers, this distinction matters.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose lab-grown diamonds if:

• You want a real diamond, for yourself or as a gift
• Authenticity and passing a diamond test matter to you
• You want the exact appearance of a diamond, not a close approximation
• You're buying as a gift and want to say "these are real diamonds"

Choose moissanite if:

• You want the absolute lowest price point possible
• You specifically like the extra fire/rainbow effect
• You're comfortable with a non-diamond stone and don't mind it testing differently

For most Canadian shoppers, especially those buying as a gift or wanting genuine diamonds, lab-grown is the clear choice. The price gap between lab-grown diamonds and moissanite has narrowed to the point where the extra cost for an actual diamond is minimal, and the difference in what you're getting is significant.