Collectors who already own a few diamond alternatives tend to ask sharper questions than first-time buyers. The debate over lab grown diamonds vs moissanite is less about which stone looks more expensive and more about optical behaviour, hardness, and how each performs once set in metal. The Jewellery Channel stocks both across its Luxuriant and D’Joy lines, which gives a useful basis for comparing the two side by side.
Carbon Versus Silicon Carbide: The Core Distinction
Lab grown diamonds share the same carbon crystal structure as mined diamonds, just produced in a controlled setting rather than underground. Moissanite, by contrast, is silicon carbide, a different mineral altogether that happens to mimic diamond’s brilliance. This compositional gap is the root of nearly every other difference buyers notice, from how the stones bend light to how certificates describe their clarity. That single distinction, carbon against silicon carbide, is really what the lab grown diamonds vs moissanite question comes down to once the marketing language is stripped away.
Optical Properties: Sparkle, Fire, and Light Dispersion
Diamond and moissanite both scatter light, but they do it differently because of their distinct refractive indices. Moissanite tends to throw more coloured fire, meaning flashes of rainbow colour are more pronounced under bright light. Lab grown diamonds, sharing diamond’s own optical signature, produce a whiter, more even sparkle that many collectors associate with traditional diamond jewellery. Neither effect is better in an absolute sense, since the two sit at opposite points on the sparkle spectrum, which is why experienced buyers weigh this factor carefully before choosing between a ring built around one stone or the other.
Durability and Hardness Ratings Explained
On the Mohs hardness scale, diamond sits at 10, the hardest natural material known, and lab grown diamonds inherit that same rating because they are chemically identical to mined stones. Moissanite is also notably hard, sitting close behind diamond, which is part of why it has become such a popular diamond alternative for everyday rings and earrings. This proximity on the hardness scale means both stones resist scratching well under normal wear. The gap that remains is chemical rather than mechanical, a distinction that matters more for grading and certification than for daily wear comparisons between lab grown diamonds vs moissanite.
Lab Grown Diamonds in TJC’s Luxuriant Collection
The Jewellery Channel grades its lab grown diamonds with diamond-specific clarity and colour scales such as SI-G-H or VS-E-F, and the Luxuriant line carries this grading across several pieces, including an IGI certified princess cut ring holding a 3.50 ct centre stone set in 9K yellow gold. A full eternity band ring holds a 2.37 ct lab grown diamond graded SI-GH in 18K vermeil yellow gold plated sterling silver, while a related full eternity design carries a 1 ct lab grown multi diamond arrangement graded SI-G-H in the same plated silver base, and a rhodium overlay sterling silver band ring in the collection carries a smaller lab grown diamond also graded SI G/H. Together these pieces show the eternity format repeating across more than one carat weight, with the metal base shifting between vermeil gold and rhodium overlay depending on the piece.
Beyond rings, The Jewellery Channel extends lab grown diamonds into earrings in more than one form. A halo design combines a 1.00 ct lab grown diamond graded SI/G-H with a diffused blue sapphire centre stone, set in rhodium overlay sterling silver, while a separate pair of solitaire stud earrings with push back fastening holds a 0.21 ct lab grown diamond in platinum overlay sterling silver. That spread shows the collection is not limited to solitaire rings but also builds lab grown diamonds into multi-stone and stud designs alike.
Moissanite Options Across D’Joy and Luxuriant Lines
Moissanite at The Jewellery Channel appears most often under the D’Joy name, though some pieces are catalogued jointly with Luxuriant. A D’Joy moissanite trilogy halo ring, set in platinum overlay sterling silver, carries a stated weight of 1.21 ct, while a separate D’Joy moissanite trilogy ring reaches 3.40 ct in the same platinum overlay sterling silver setting. A D’Joy moissanite criss cross band ring weighs 1.60 ct across platinum overlay and yellow gold plated sterling silver, and a further D’Joy design pairs moissanite solitaire stud earrings with push back fastening in 18K vermeil yellow gold plated sterling silver, extending the line from rings into everyday stud earrings. Taken together, these pieces show moissanite spanning rings and earrings from just over one carat up to several carats within the D’Joy range.
Setting Metals: How Platinum, Gold, and Sterling Silver Perform with Each Stone
Both lab grown diamonds and moissanite at The Jewellery Channel appear across a similar spread of metal settings, which makes direct comparison easier for buyers. Platinum overlay sterling silver shows up frequently in the moissanite range, giving those pieces a cool-toned backdrop that complements moissanite’s brighter fire. Sterling silver as a base metal underlies most pieces in both categories, with the overlay or vermeil plating determining the final tone rather than the strength of the setting itself.
- Lab grown diamonds are chemically identical to mined diamonds, while moissanite is a separate mineral, silicon carbide.
- Diamond sits at the top of the Mohs hardness scale at 10, with moissanite rated close behind it.
- Moissanite typically produces more visible coloured fire, whereas lab grown diamonds give a whiter, more even sparkle.
- Lab grown diamonds carry diamond-specific clarity and colour grades such as SI-G-H or VS-E-F, while moissanite pieces are described mainly by carat weight and cut.
- Carat weights differ across the ranges, with some D’Joy moissanite pieces reaching several carats and Luxuriant lab grown diamonds spanning smaller to larger centre stones.
- Both stone types appear across platinum overlay, gold plated, and rhodium overlay sterling silver settings within the catalogue.
Choosing between lab grown diamonds vs moissanite ultimately comes down to which optical character and compositional profile a collector values more. The comparison is not about one stone outranking the other, but about matching sparkle, hardness, and setting preferences to what a collection already holds.