The CASALYA Guide
Meet Moissanite.
A gemstone chosen for exceptional brilliance, remarkable durability and a character entirely its own.
Discover the brilliance
What is Moissanite?
Moissanite is silicon carbide, a gemstone originally discovered in nature but exceptionally rare in naturally occurring gem-quality form. Jewellery moissanite today is therefore created in controlled laboratory environments. CASALYA uses lab-grown premium moissanite.
Moissanite is not a diamond — and it does not need to be.
It is a gemstone with its own optical character, known for exceptional brilliance and colourful fire.
Made for light.
A higher refractive index means light is bent strongly inside the gemstone, contributing to moissanite's characteristic sparkle. Moissanite produces a distinctive, lively brilliance with flashes of spectral colour.
Refractive index, approximate values
Beauty designed to be worn.
This makes moissanite one of the hardest gemstones used in jewellery and highly suitable for frequently worn pieces.
Hardness measures scratch resistance, not complete indestructibility.
9.25
Approximate hardness on the Mohs scale
- Diamond
- 10
- Moissanite
- ~9.25
- Sapphire
- 9
- Cubic Zirconia
- ~8–8.5
Our standard.
CASALYA selects premium lab-grown moissanite. Where stated for a piece, the grading is D colour and VVS clarity; the specification shown on each product always takes precedence.
D colour
A colourless appearance.
VVS clarity
Very, very slight inclusions that are extremely difficult to see under magnification.
Moissanite, diamond and cubic zirconia compared
| Moissanite | Diamond | Cubic Zirconia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Silicon carbide | Carbon | Zirconium dioxide |
| Mohs hardness | ~9.25 | 10 | ~8–8.5 |
| Refractive index | ~2.65–2.69 | ~2.42 | ~2.15–2.18 |
| Optical character | Intense brilliance and colourful fire | Classic brilliance | Bright appearance with softer light performance |
| Origin in CASALYA jewellery | Lab-grown | Not currently used | Not used |
| Price positioning | More accessible | Typically significantly higher for comparable visual size | Generally lower |
Why we chose Moissanite.
We did not choose moissanite because it imitates something else. We chose it for what it is: exceptionally brilliant, remarkably durable and distinctly beautiful.
For CASALYA, it offers the freedom to create jewellery with presence — pieces designed to be worn, not kept for rare occasions.
Different stone. Exceptional brilliance.
Discover the collectionFrequently asked
No. Moissanite is silicon carbide, while diamond is carbon. They are distinct gemstones with different optical properties.