If you're shopping iced-out jewelry, you'll see three terms over and over: moissanite, lab-grown diamond and natural diamond. All three are real stones — but they're very different in price, origin and sparkle. Here's the plain-English breakdown.
Moissanite
Moissanite is a lab-created gemstone (silicon carbide) — not a diamond, but a real stone with even more fire and brilliance than a diamond. It passes the standard diamond tester, scores 9.25 on the hardness scale (diamond is 10), and costs a fraction of a diamond. It's the best sparkle-per-dollar, which is why most of our iced-out chains, rings and earrings are set with moissanite.
Lab-grown diamond
A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond — chemically and optically identical to a mined one, grown in a lab (CVD or HPHT) instead of the earth. Same hardness (10), graded on the same 4Cs. It costs far less than a mined diamond. We offer lab-grown diamonds on custom pieces and by request.
Natural diamond
A natural diamond is mined from the earth and certified. It's the most expensive of the three — you're paying for rarity and origin. We source certified natural diamonds for custom engagement rings, pendants and chains on request.
Quick comparison
- Price: Moissanite (lowest) → Lab-grown diamond → Natural diamond (highest)
- Passes the diamond tester: Moissanite yes · Lab-grown yes · Natural yes
- Hardness: Moissanite 9.25 · Lab-grown 10 · Natural 10
- Looks like a diamond to the eye: All three, yes
Which should you buy?
Want maximum ice for the money that still passes the tester? Moissanite. Want an actual diamond without the mined price? Lab-grown. Want the traditional, mined stone? Natural. At FAZE Jewelry you can get all three — iced out or classic, ready-to-ship or made to order.
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