News
Sous réserves:
"la Moissanite a été cristallisée sous forme cubique" donc ne double pas.
News Flash Moissanite:
Gregory Sherman, Marketing Director of EGL USA, New York, informs the Guide:
"EGL-NY is currently investigating claims by Russian Scientists that Silicon Carbide (the mineral commonly known as moissanite) has been successfully grown in cubic form." The claim, if accurate, raises concerns that a singly refractive form of moissanite would be more difficult to separate from diamond. Currently moissanite shows a distinctive doubling of facets, this is because of the crystal’s doubly refractive nature, unlike diamond, which is singly refractive. And thus shows no doubling. If moissnatie were to be grown in a cubic form, the resulting crystal would be singly refractive and doubling, the key test in separating it form diamond, would be gone. Also not known is what effect if any, this would have on the accuracy of the current generation of electronic moissanite detectors.
Sherman indicated that EGL had redirected some of their resources into investigating the validity of the claim. "The lab is currently working on acquiring some specimens for examination. If it exist, we would expect to be able to isolate, and then report on, and identifying characteristics for this material in an expedient manner," Sherman said.
While commercial production is not yet being done yet, of the new single refractive stones, this does show the need to be alert in our industry for any new products. Inclusions of natural diamond and of synthetics, moissanite will be key until new tests are formed.
