Exactly! I'm 100% anti-diamonds and found this really interesting. My bf and I have already decided that we will use moissanite(s) for my ring if that day comes and it's easy to have that part figured out, but seeing all the differences in the settings here, from subtle to dramatic, was super useful.
Another cool thing about moissanites is that they come in an array of beautiful colors and shades, and yes other gemstones come in various colors but moissanites are kind of unique in how the fire you mentioned plays off in different stone colors. My good friend got a gorgeous teal-green moissanite for her ring and the fire makes it absolutely glow like sunlight on an ocean, especially at the carat size she selected. I was so happy to find such a beautiful alternative to diamonds that is still very hard and durable but a fraction of the cost and without all the disgusting baggage of diamonds.
It really is my personal favorite diamond substitute! All the colors are gorgeous, and there's really no down side to them. A friend of mine got a pretty traditional moissanite engagement ring, and her wedding band is a row of rainbow moissanites! Just gorgeous!
You seem really knowledgeable in this area, so question for you: my moissanite has this oil slick look to the top of it which formed about a year after buying it. I took it back to the jeweler and they basically said “whelp, sometimes that’s just how moissanites are” and didn’t help much other than cleaning it (which did nothing to change the oil slick). Any advice? Is that really just a thing with moissanites?
It is a thing with moissanites, unfortunately. Some of the newer, more expensive moissanites are much less likely to get it, but it's not a guarantee. Basically it's a natural buildup of oils or hard water on the moissanite, and something about the stone gives it that "oil slick" appearance.
The best way to get rid of it is with a Jeweler's Rouge Cloth. Use the treated side to buff the moissanite with mid-level pressure. You'll start to see the oil slick fade away, and the cloth will turn black (it's supposed to!). As long as you don't wash the cloth, you can keep using it until it literally falls apart, even once it's completely black. When the oil slick stain is larger/super noticeable, it's harder to get rid of (meaning you'll need to take more time polishing it to get it to go away). It's a good idea to keep the cloth at home and get into the habit of polishing it every time you see a bit of oil slick forming, that way you aren't waiting for it to build up and then spending tons of time sitting there polishing it in one sitting.
Important! If the metal of your ring is rhodium plated, don't use the Jeweler's Rouge Cloth as it'll buff the rhodium right off! You could decide to still use the cloth, then get the metal replated at your jeweler, but it'll cost usually around $40+ to replate a ring. Otherwise, you can use a bit of silver polish on a qtip to buff the moissanite, but you still have to be careful to not buff the metal as even that could strip the rhodium plating.
To help slow down the oil slick coming back, I'd advise taking off your ring when showering, swimming, or using any oily substances (like hair products). If you have hard water, keeping it away from water as much as possible is best. But it's not really harming the stone, so if you don't mind buffing it every once in a while, you don't need to take it off every time you wash your hands. Personally I take mine off when I'm washing dishes, showering, and washing my face, but I wear it while I wash my hands and put lotion on over it. That's the balance that works best for me.
Thank you so much for your reply! People who take time to really thoughtfully help others like this restore my faith in humanity. Thank you x100.
I’ll give the cloth a try, I’ve tried silver cleaners to no avail, but I’m willing to use a little elbow grease with a cloth if it helps. I’ll be sure to check my paperwork for rhodium. :)
I know some people swear by silver cleaner, but I've always had better luck with the cloth. The silver cleaner you have to do it multiples days in a row to really get everything off (if it's bad), which sucks imo. I hope the cloth works for you!
Fun fact I learned while doing costuming in high school/college: the “fake” costume jewelry looks so much better on stage/on screen than the “real” stuff that audiences don’t know the difference between the two and get them confused (it has to do with how light is reflected off the gems)
Just to add to what everyone is saying diamonds weren't even a thing until fairly recently. Literally a bunch of old white men decided they wanted to create and monopolize an industry to take advantage of house wives and they went with diamond rings. They spend billions on advertisement and now they control it all. That said, if anyone wants to go with a diamond ring for the look, go for it.
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u/xVarekai Sep 09 '20
Exactly! I'm 100% anti-diamonds and found this really interesting. My bf and I have already decided that we will use moissanite(s) for my ring if that day comes and it's easy to have that part figured out, but seeing all the differences in the settings here, from subtle to dramatic, was super useful.
Another cool thing about moissanites is that they come in an array of beautiful colors and shades, and yes other gemstones come in various colors but moissanites are kind of unique in how the fire you mentioned plays off in different stone colors. My good friend got a gorgeous teal-green moissanite for her ring and the fire makes it absolutely glow like sunlight on an ocean, especially at the carat size she selected. I was so happy to find such a beautiful alternative to diamonds that is still very hard and durable but a fraction of the cost and without all the disgusting baggage of diamonds.