Save thousands on engagement rings by ditching diamonds for this gem instead

The gemstone, a silicon carbide which closely resembles a diamond in its appearance, is the second hardest mineral in the world after diamond. It is hard to spot many differences between the two, except from the price!

Renowned for their fire, brilliance and dazzling beauty, it is no wonder diamonds are still the number one choice when it comes to engagement rings.

But as the cost of living crisis continues to bite down hard on people across the country, many Brits find themselves unable to even afford the prospect of a proposal - let alone a flashy diamond ring!

It may be a girl's best friend as the saying goes, but it certainly won't be best friends with their partner's bank balance after taking the hit for the luxurious piece of jewellery.

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Luckily unbeknown to many, there is a cheaper gem alternative, moissanite, and the good news is that it would be hard to tell the difference between the two (unless you were an absolute expert of course).

As a general guide, a nearly colorless one-carat diamond will set you back around £4,330, whereas a completely colorless moissanite is significantly less at around £519.

Although it does come at a significant cost compared to some other options, you can rest assured the quality is also in line with that of a real diamond. For a lot of people, the price is often not the only barrier when planning to hop down on one knee as according to Fad Magazine other issues such as sustainability and environmental concerns are also becoming increasingly important.

The magazine reports that the moissanite first got its name after the French scientist, Henri Moissan, who first discovered it in 1893 after it first originated in space, so that's also a pretty cool thing to be able to say about your ring!

Commonly found within meteors, moissanite is a gemstone that literally comes from space but the rare mineral is almost always created in labs in the modern day.

Moissanite, a silicon carbide which closely resembles a diamond in its appearance, is the second hardest mineral in the world after diamonds. It is harder really at this point to spot many differences between the two.

Measuring 2.65 on the refractive index, moissanite offers a fiery brilliance twice above that of a diamond due to its ability to disperse light and it is this that often distinguishes it from a diamond.

It is said to have more of a rainbow or ‘disco ball’ dispersion effect while diamonds produce more of a white light scintillation. If the former is what you are seeking then moissanite can offer the perfect substitute.

To the naked eye, there is little difference between a moissanite gemstone and a diamond. In terms of durability and affordability, Fad Magazine says moissanite is a great choice when it comes to choosing the stone for your engagement ring.

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