[A_D_E_P_T]

> I don't think Moissanite is the right replacement - they have too much of the so-called "fire", almost too sparkly as the article shows. I think Moissanites are inferior to diamonds in appearance in my personal, subjective opinion.

I feel the same way. Moissanites are basically TOO good. They reflect light in so many carnival colors, and they shine so brightly, that they frequently look like fake carnival jewelry.

[ckolkey]

What? I can't understand this at all. We like gems _because_ they are shiny, not in spite of that.

But alright, subjective opinion. I'm just enjoy my affordable shiny rocks over here.

[npteljes]

I find people usually like a specific amount, and that often there is such a thing as excess, even with desirable things, traits. This also changes over time, and from culture to culture. Another example is the coloring of clothes. In ye olde times, a vibrantly bright colored article is a rarity, because dying it, and then keeping it clean are not trivial tasks. Nowadays, bright basic colors such as royal blue can easily seem cheap, like something from a bazaar. And many subtle tones, such as colors resembling what you'd find in nature, are popular.

[A_D_E_P_T]

Right. There's also the fact that cubic zirconia has, like moissanite, a refractive index higher than diamond's. So a lot of poverty-tier CZ costume jewelry is, like moissanite, extremely shiny. That moissanite is basically indistinguishable from CZ -- but highly distinguishable from diamond -- is not a point in its favor.

> In ye olde times, a vibrantly bright colored article is a rarity

I had heard that medieval nobility was very fond of brightly-colored clothes. Blues, reds, yellows, etc. It stands to reason that this was to exhibit their wealth in an immediate and obvious way.

[pavlov]

Shininess is one property people appreciate in gems, but not the only one. Many so-called fine things are loved exactly because their quality can’t be pinned down on a simple scale, but rather is a blend of subjective evaluations whose weightings are constantly evolving as tastes change.

Is the best wine the one with the highest alcohol content? The best chocolate the one with the most cocoa or the most sugar? The best painting the one with the most contrast? Etc.

[gwbas1c]

When moissanite sparkles, it sparkles with rainbows. Diamonds sparkle with just white light.

They are very similar, and you need to look very closely to observe the difference.

One of the nice things about moissanite is it allows creating jewelry that otherwise is economically unaffordable with diamonds.