Moissanite Stud Earrings 925 Sterling Silver 5mm

Moissanite Stud Earrings 925 Sterling Silver 5mm With a VVS D Stone

A classic solitaire stud with a round moissanite of 5mm, set in solid 925 sterling silver with white gold plating. Moissanite is not an imitation diamond but a stone in its own right, and on the points you would compare in a shop it outperforms diamond.

Product details

• Base material: solid 925 sterling silver

• Finish: white gold plating

• Stone: VVS D moissanite, 5mm round

• Fitting: post and butterfly back

• Delivered with certificate in a Carpe Ice jewellery box

What Moissanite Actually Is

Moissanite is silicon carbide, a mineral so rare in nature that it is made in a laboratory. So it is not glass, not cubic zirconia and not an imitation: it is a gemstone in its own right with its own properties. On the Mohs hardness scale moissanite scores 9.25, against 10 for diamond and 8 to 8.5 for cubic zirconia. In practice that means a stone that keeps its sharp facet edges, even with daily wear.

Why Moissanite Sparkles More Than Diamond

This is not a marketing line but physics. The refractive index of moissanite sits around 2.65 against 2.42 for diamond, which returns more white light. More important still is the dispersion: 0.104 against 0.044. That is more than double, and dispersion is precisely what causes the coloured flashes you see as the stone moves. Put moissanite beside diamond and you see more rainbow fire from the moissanite.

How 5mm Looks on the Ear

At 5mm this is the size that is visible without becoming a statement: large enough to be noticed from a metre away, small enough to wear all day. If you want more presence, the square version of 7.5mm is the step up. Studs at this size are also the safest choice to wear under a hat.

The White Gold Plating

The setting is solid 925 sterling silver with white gold plating over it. That plating keeps the silver cool in colour and holds off tarnishing. It remains a finish, so take the earrings out before the pool, the shower and sport, and apply hairspray and fragrance before you put them in. If the layer wears, silver appears underneath and a jeweller can have them re-plated.

Cleaning

Moissanite attracts grease, and that is the main reason a stone can look dull. Lukewarm water, a drop of mild soap and a soft toothbrush along the underside of the stone will lift it away; that is where the light enters. Do not use an ultrasonic bath, because that is meant for solid metal without a finish.