Moissanite was first discovered in 1893 by a French scientist named Henri Moissan, who later won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He found it in a meteor crater in Arizona, it literally is grown in meteors! He initially thought that he had found diamonds, but later determined that the crystals were compared of silicon carbide.
Natural moissanite is impossibly rare, so moissanite available today is lab grown. It is widely considered to be the most brilliant jewel in the world. Similar to diamonds Its optical qualities are stunning AND its eco friendly to boot!
Moissanite has greater refractory properties than diamond and is more sparkly and lighter in weight. Because it is lab grown it will likely have less inclusions than a diaomond might. It also costs much less than a diamond. Diamonds clock in at a 10 on the Mohs scale and moissonite at a 9.5
I find moissanite to be a lighter & clearer white than a diamond, leaning more toward the blue hues. I love the fact that they are born from stardust.