Why is moissanite so much cheaper than diamond? Edited

As a bench jeweler, moissanite is absolutely a serious option. It is 9.25 on the Mohs scale, second only to diamond, so it holds up to daily wear. The stone itself is lab-grown silicon carbide, not glass. The only thing it will not give you is that 'natural diamond' story, and that is a personal value call.

Where I would actually buy: Charles and Colvard direct for the stone, or Brilliant Earth / James Allen for ring settings. Etsy has great independent jewelers but vet reviews carefully. Amazon is risky unless it is an authorized C&C dealer. Avoid anything under 200 dollars for a 1ct Forever One.

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.

Honestly the only reason to skip moissanite is if you specifically want a natural mined diamond for emotional or family reasons. Otherwise it is the best value in jewelry right now.