Moissanite 2 earrings / new- 1.68 g - (2)

2 Moissanite stud earrings / new

Mounted in 925 sterling silver

1.68 g / 8.4 ct

6.0 mm x 6.0 mm x 15.9 mm

new and unworn

Moissanite, chemically also known as carborundum or silicon carbide, is a rare mineral from the mineral class of the elements. It crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system with the chemical formula SiC and forms flat, rounded, hexagonal crystals up to five millimeters in size. In its pure state the mineral is colorless, but traces of other elements such as nitrogen, boron, or aluminum impart a wide color range from green (nitrogen) to blue to black (aluminum, boron).

Moissanite was first identified in 1904 by Henri Moissan in a mineral sample from the Canyon-Diablo meteorite, found near the Barringer Crater. Its composition had been studied for the first time in 1892 by François Ernest Mallard and in 1893 by Georges Friedel; they noted that it contained a particularly hard material that was inert to hydrochloric acid, and initially regarded it as diamond. In 1904 Moissan was able to examine a larger portion of the meteorite and, recognizing the characteristic hexagonal crystals, concluded that the meteorite contained silicon carbide. The new mineral was named after its discoverer Moissan.

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