UK moissanite engagement ring?

[emmaj987]

Hi all, my otherhalf popped the question over christmas i'm so excited! He used a cheap placeholder ring as he knew i wanted to choose a ring together.

We've spent days out shopping looking at styles and cuts, sizes, (the 4cs) and i feel we've found the perfect ring.

Now the hard part, a friend recommended i look into a moissanite ring... this is the first i've heard about moissanite and i'm really torn what to do! Has anyone here bought a moissanite ring before in the UK? Its such a huge cost saving and would really help as we can put this towards our dream wedding.

I'm absolutely fine buying a moissanite over a diamond, i've had friends buy alternative engagement rings and as long as it represents our love for one another thats fine.

My main concern is if it will stand the test of time and the ring is clearly hallmarked in the UK, i've done some research and most moissanite suppliers are based in the US and manufacture their rings in China, the metal is not UK hallmarked so you'll never be sure if you get what you're paying for.

From research so far Charles & Colvard, Forever One appears to be the moissanite stone of choice?

If anyone can offer any advice, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Emma

That's really interested, I once saw an objective comparison between CZ and diamond and the CZ came out streets ahead. Apparently we're all Lin love with diamonds because deBeers tellus that are the best stones and they also control the majority of the market so can restrict supply to maintain high prices.

Following as very interesting

Thanks Quim, thats really helpful.

Can i ask what sort of moissanite you opted for? You must have been a moissanite pioneer

Ok, so after soooo much deliberation I’ve opted for a moissanite ring from Lily Arkwright, their UK based and have a sale on at the moment (every little helps!)

It’s a 1ct brilliant round solitaire shoulder set, 18k white gold.

lilyarkwright.com/products/cicely-round-shoulder-set?variant=4719636152352
They offer free delivery/returns within the UK and all rings are UK hallmarked so I have peace of mind if I don’t like it. Additionally the stone is a Charles & Colvard Forever One moissanite stone which is the premium moissanite stone on the market today and is under warranty.

From further reading the Forever One range is equivalent to a diamond colour D-F, there’s no visible inclusions in the stones and they are manufactured in the US.

I’ll post a photo when it arrives, so excited.

Thanks again for everyone’s advice.

Moissanite has no value per se. You'll pay for a nice cut/clarity etc but it is basically worthless.

I'd buy the ring if you like it- but it's not an investment in the same way that precious stones are.

Precious stones have a massively reduced resale value though. If you paid 4k for an engagement ring, you'd not get anywhere near that back if you sold it later. Maybe it is better to spend less in the first place.

Sold one to a dealer ( long story). Stone worthless. As is most second hand jewellery.

Depends what kind of precious stone- Iwanna. If you paid £4k for a stonker of an emerald solitaire (for example) you could make quite a bit. But only if you buy well in the first place.

So Moissanite is just a slightly harder cubic zirconia?

Appuskidu, they are both different chemical compounds. The only thing that they have in common is that they are both used as diamond simulants.

Sorry, I didn’t phrase that well. I had thought that the moissanite in rings was naturally occurring, but it seems most of them are man-made, like CZ which was what I meant. They are both lab created diamond stimulants but CZ is softer.

You can get natural moissanite but it is tiny and not really of much use for jewellery. So for these purposes- both made in labs. CZ more brittle and has a clearer/glassier look.

From my reading, CZ is much less durable and likely to get scratched/worn over time. This is especially prevalent if you wear diamonds or moissanite stones as they are much harder and will scratch a cubic stone. CZ have a bad reputation throughout the industry.

Moissanite like diamonds vary in quality, thats why i opted for a charles and colvard forever one stone, each stone is independently checked by a certified gemologist in the USA and takes months to create.

I'm not an expert, but i felt safer opting for a named brand, also Lily Arkwright offer a limited lifetime warranty on every stone they sell.

I did think about the cost element and value of my ring and i think it will hold its value.

An individual 1ct round forever one stone retails for $599 dollars on the charles and colvard website, thats about £450 pounds, i would have to pay import tax and postage, so maybe £500ish. I don't know what the actual resale value would be but it certainly would have value. I've posted the link below:

www.charlesandcolvard.com/forever-one-1-00ctw-round-colorless-moissanite-gemstone-446103

The Cicely ring i opted for actually has diamond sidestones and is 18k gold and UK hallmarked so would cost a pretty penny without the moissanite side stone, this would certainly have value as per any normal ring.

lilyarkwright.com/products/cicely-round-shoulder-set?variant=4719636152352

I'm not an expert but its something i tried to calculate before i committed to making my purchase. Also, Lily Arkwright have free delivery and returns if i don't like it

When thinking about resale, i also think its worth thinking about the comparable costs between a moissanite ring and diamond, i.e the Cicely ring 1ct has cost me £1144 (its currently on sale).

Even if it depreciate in value it would still hold the value of the gold ring, the diamond side stones and the moissanite stone. If i bought an equivalent diamond from the uk high street it would cost me a minimum of £10,000 upwards and that would also depreciate in value the second i bought it.

I think at the end of the day its always the meaning behind the ring that matters and its always personnel choice.

CZ doesnt have a 'bad reputation'. CZ is just CZ. It has its own properties and its' cost reflects its expected lifespan.

Diamonds, moissanite or CZ will scratch just about anything... please don't go around scratching jewellery with your rings- that way madness lies.

Moissanite, as a man made object, has to pass stringent quality testing before it's allowed to be marketed to the public. Its colour or quality can be adjusted based on how it is produced.
For example, moissanite produced for tools etc doesn't have to be a particularly good colour- so they won't bother looking for refraction or quality of colour. Jewellery grade moissanite is made specifically for trade with particular qualities.

You don't need to be a gemologist to grade moissanite. You're just bumping up the premium for the stone.

TLDR: I wouldn't read into sales spiel too much.

Also wouldn't recommend buying warranties for any stone. If a stone is faulty you are covered under sale of goods act. Warranties are just another way of bumping up prices in the jewellery trade. Any good jeweller wouldn't sell something sub par and in the rare event that something does go wrong- they fix it.

Conversely if something is damaged accidentally- the most likely way for jewellery to be faulty- then warranties tend not to cover this anyway. You're better just covering your jewellery under your home insurance.

Also diamonds don't depreciate in value when you buy them presuming that you buy at a good price. If you buy something overpriced then of course you will lose money.

Your resale value for your 18k gold works out about £22 per gram. So if you know the weight of your band/setting you know what you will get if you go to sell it.

Obviously gold prices fluctuate so this could go up or down.

I got a 2nd hand diamond solitaire platinum ring £700, took it to be independently valued at appx double value, def go 2nd hand.

if had chance again (haha) I'd pick a black opal ring

this is fab!

Ooohh OP do post a photo when you get your ring.

I love my very sparkly moissanite ERing (had it 2 years). My local jeweler bought in a C & C moissanite stone and had it set in a simple platinum band.

I'm happy knowing I didn't buy an overpriced diamond that might have been unethically sourced.

Joyce that's the way I'd do it too. Or I'd pick up a 2nd hand stone and have it remounted in something contemporary.
My own solitaire was an edwardian rose cut in yellow gold but it's been reset in platinum with sapphires. Cost me £1100 but is worth £4500 at the moment. You don't need to spend massive wads of cash to buy well.

Lovelovelove opals. Unfortunately nice ones- even 2nd hand are ££££. (Worth it though imho!)

the Cicely ring 1ct has cost me £1144

I just can’t imagine paying over a thousand pounds for a fake diamond. I’m not sure what you’re getting from buying one from a verified gemologist than from anywhere else’s that’s worth the extra money either. Is the idea of a moissanite ring that people aren’t supposed to think it’s diamond or do you tell them it’s moissanaite?

My diamond was second hand and cost £800!

Horses for courses though and it’s probably a good job we aren’t all the same! Enjoy your ring and don’t forget to show us a picture when it arrives!

But Appuskidu a moissanite isn't a fake diamond. It's a moissanite.

If anyone asked me what stone it is I would be proud to say I wear a moissanite. At the end of the day it's a beautiful stone I wear on my finger.

They are as beautiful as a diamond at a fraction of the cost. I can't fathom why anyone would want to buy an overpriced diamond with the potential that it was sourced unethically when you can't tell them apart by eye or even a diamond monitor they use in jewelers.

I can't fathom why anyone would want to buy an overpriced diamond with the potential that it was sourced unethically

Not really, if you know what you’re doing. All diamonds can be ‘fingerprinted’ to their geological source.

I have Australian diamonds and there is nothing unethical about their production.

I also think the OP’s posts read like an ad.

I also think the OP’s posts read like an ad.

I agree.