Does moissanite look fake in real life?

Top brands I would recommend: Charles and Colvard (the original, best consistency), Brilliant Earth (settings + ethically sourced), James Allen (good 3D previews), and Etsy sellers for custom vintage-style settings. Avoid no-name Alibaba listings unless you really know what you are doing.

My rough price guide for a 1ct equivalent:

• Forever One (colorless D-F): 400-800 dollars for the loose stone
• Forever Brilliant (near colorless): 250-500 dollars
• Setting added on top: 200-800 depending on metal and stones

If someone quotes you 2000 dollars for a 1ct moissanite, you are getting ripped off.

Moissanite is about as ethical as it gets. It is lab-grown silicon carbide, no mining, no child labor concerns, minimal environmental impact. The energy use is real but tiny compared to diamond mining. For ethical buyers it is one of the cleanest options.

Care is easy: warm water, mild dish soap, soft brush. Avoid chlorine pools, bleach, and acetone on the setting. Moissanite itself is tougher than most gems but the prongs and metal are the weak point. Check prongs once a year.

A 1ct moissanite looks slightly LARGER than a 1ct diamond because moissanite is less dense. A 6.5mm 1ct diamond is about the same visual size as a 6.5-7mm moissanite. In practice the difference is tiny but moissanite wins slightly on face-up size.