Light and Moissanite: How Do They Interact?
Moissanite is a material that reflects and refracts light when it enters. During the process of cutting gemstones, light is bounced off facets (cut surfaces) in the stone and reflects out again, creating a high level of sparkle. A gemstone's appearance depends on how light behaves within the stone and how it is cut. In addition to the cut, the quality of the cut can also affect how light interacts with the stone, but here we will focus solely on the style.
Brilliant Cut
With a brilliant cut, you achieve a classic sparkling pattern due to the symmetrical style from the front. The centre of a brilliant-cut stone is visible as a series of well-defined, arrow-like facets. The pavilion (the bottom angle of the stone) is cut with uniform facets, allowing light to travel efficiently through the stone. This results in the maximum amount of light exiting the crown (the top angle of the stone) and returning to the observer. As a result, fire and brilliance in the stone are at their highest levels.
Crushed Ice Cut
Crushed ice cuts differ from other types of cuts. Crushed ice Moissanite is cut so that the pavilion of the stone has more irregular-shaped facets, which scatter light irregularly within the stone. However, some light bounces off the pavilion's two surfaces and then exits through the crown. Similar to the brilliant cut, some light will also bounce multiple times within the stone before exiting through the pavilion. This scattering of light inside the stone gives it the appearance of - well, as the name suggests - crushed ice. The properties of crushed ice Moissanite stones result in a different kind of sparkle and a lower level of brilliance, fire, and sparkle compared to a diamond.
What is the Bowtie Effect?
In certain shapes of Moissanite, such as ovals or pears, you can observe the difference between these two cuts. There is typically some degree of a bowtie effect in an oval diamond, which is a darker band running through the middle of the stone where the pavilion loses light. Some people prefer this kind of contrast, but it may detract from the stone if it is too pronounced.
In brilliant-cut oval Moissanite stones, the bowtie effect can usually be avoided due to Moissanite's high refractive index (the way light bends inside a substance). This cut has a bowtie effect due to the faceting pattern of crushed ice Moissanite, giving it a more diamond-like appearance.
How Do They Compare?
Moissanite with a brilliant cut will exhibit as much fire and brilliance as possible due to its efficient use of light. Moissanite's unmatched sparkle is what makes people fall in love with it! The brilliant cut is most noticeable for its uniform, larger facets. However, many people are interested in finding Moissanite that closely resembles a diamond. Furthermore, the crushed ice cut can have a bowtie effect that more closely resembles diamonds.
What do you think is your favourite? Would you like the most sparkle? Do you prefer something closer to a diamond? Perhaps you enjoy the way crushed ice sparkles in small facets. The choice is all yours! It is not important what others think or what you have heard you should choose. Just choose what makes you happy.