Last updated: October 2026
By Jack Lv, General Manager — 925 sterling silver and GRA moissanite manufacturing in Foshan since 2011
For a 925 silver jewellery programme, moissanite is usually the stronger commercial choice: it is silicon carbide at 9.25 on the Mohs scale against diamond at 10, it gives a comparable white-stone look at a fraction of the stone cost, and it is accepted as its own gemstone category in the US, Canada, Australia, UK, EU and Saudi markets. Diamond stays the better answer only when your customers buy the stone as an asset or insist on a recognised diamond certificate.
Moissanite is silicon carbide (SiC), a crystal grown in a laboratory. Diamond is carbon. They are not the same substance at different quality levels, and this single fact explains most of the commercial differences that follow. Buyers who treat moissanite as a cheaper diamond tend to guess on price, positioning and disclosure, and those guesses are what damage margin later.
Hardness matters to a wholesale programme because it predicts how a stone behaves after months on a customer's hand. Diamond sits at 10 on the Mohs scale; moissanite sits at 9.25. Moissanite also has a higher refractive index than diamond, which means more light returns to the eye and a visibly more dispersive, rainbow-leaning sparkle in direct light. Diamond's advantage is not brightness alone; it is the combination of maximum hardness with a rarer, more restrained refraction pattern that the market has been trained to recognise.
Refractive index, in plain terms, is how strongly a material bends light. It is the main reason two white stones of the same size can look different under the same lamp, and it is why a described specification beats a photograph in a supplier catalogue.
| Stone | Composition | Mohs hardness | Refractive index vs diamond | Role in a wholesale range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond | Carbon | 10 | Baseline | Bridal hero pieces sold with a recognised report |
| Moissanite | Silicon carbide (SiC) | 9.25 | Higher | Main stone for 925 silver and gold programmes |
| Cubic zirconia | Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) | 8 to 8.5 | Lower | Lowest stone cost, accents and trend lines |
Stone cost is only one line in a landed cost, but it is the line that decides whether a design can carry a brand position or has to be discounted. Because moissanite costs far less per stone than diamond of comparable visual size, more of the retail price sits in the silver, the rhodium plating, the finish and the packaging. That makes a moissanite piece sellable as a design-led item rather than a discounted diamond substitute.
Exact stone and landed costs move with cut, size, grade and order volume, so treat any single quoted figure as an indication rather than a rule, and price your range from a full costed sample rather than from a stone price list.
| Buyer goal | Stone that fits | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Gift and self-purchase fashion jewellery at a design-led price | Moissanite | Stone cost leaves room for the setting, plating and packaging |
| Bridal and engagement pieces sold with a certificate | Lab-grown or natural diamond | Customers ask for a recognised diamond report |
| Trend and seasonal sets that change every season | Cubic zirconia | Lowest stone cost, acceptable where the piece is not worn daily |
| Repeat wholesale lines at fixed price points | Moissanite in 925 silver | Stable stone supply and a stone that holds polish longer than CZ |
Moissanite is an established gemstone category with its own name, so presenting it as moissanite costs you no credibility in the US, Canada, Australia, UK, EU or Saudi markets, where it is already widely recognised and searched for by name. It is not perceived as a fake; it is perceived as a deliberate purchase.
The risk sits on the other side. Labelling rules differ by market, so the safe commercial practice is simple: name the stone on the listing, the label and the invoice, and never advertise a moissanite piece as a diamond or a simulated diamond. A clear material line protects you against chargebacks, marketplace takedowns and the slower damage of a customer who feels misled at the counter.
Moissanite works wherever a white stone is the visual focus and the piece is worn often: solitaire and three-stone rings, pendants and necklaces, matched stud earrings, and tennis-style bracelets. It is also the stone most likely to be repolished or re-set rather than replaced, which supports repeat wholesale accounts.
None of these are reasons to avoid the category, but each one is a reason to train whoever sells the piece.
Put the stone specification in writing on the quotation and on the purchase order: material, cut, size range and grade. Nabest is a Foshan factory, so you are dealing with the production floor rather than a trading layer, which makes written specifications enforceable.
Then confirm the supporting documents. A factory that already holds them answers in hours, not weeks.
On a basic thermal diamond tester, moissanite usually reads the same as diamond, because both conduct heat similarly. Multi-testers that also measure electrical conductivity are the normal way to separate moissanite from diamond, and they separate cubic zirconia at the same time. Treat testing as a counter tool, not a sourcing shortcut: buy from a supplier that documents the stone material in writing.
No. Moissanite is silicon carbide, a gemstone with its own name and its own market. It is a diamond alternative, not an imitation, and selling it as moissanite is entirely legitimate. Selling it as diamond would be a labelling problem in every market listed in this guide.
Moissanite, for the simple reason that a diamond pushes the retail price up while the silver signals a lower tier, so the piece sits in an awkward band. Moissanite keeps silver designs in the design-led price zone where volume normally lives.
Yes, and it is one of the most common ways to hit a target price point. Put the durable stone where it is most visible and most exposed to wear, and use cheaper accents behind the setting or in areas protected by metal.
Plan for 5 to 7 days of sampling, then 15 to 20 days of bulk production after sample approval, with quotations issued within 24 hours Monday to Saturday. Minimum order is 10 pieces per design, with 3 percent off at 50 pieces and 6 percent off at 100 pieces.
Send your design, size and quantity — factory quote back within 24 hours. Reference: General enquiry