A fraction of what a mined diamond costs, and before the number is useful there is something about carat worth knowing, because it trips up nearly everyone.
Carat measures weight, and moissanite is lighter
A carat is a fifth of a gram. It says nothing about how large a stone looks, only what it weighs, and the two come apart when the stones are made of different things.
Diamond has a specific gravity of about 3.52. Moissanite is about 3.21, roughly a tenth lighter. So a one carat moissanite is physically larger than a one carat diamond. Put them side by side and the moissanite looks the bigger stone, because it is.
Which is why moissanite is sold by millimetre
Reputable sellers quote moissanite in millimetres across, or in diamond equivalent weight, meaning the carat weight of a diamond that would look the same size. A stone described as one carat DEW measures about 6.5mm across and weighs closer to 0.88 of an actual carat.
When you compare two prices, compare the millimetres. Carat alone will quietly mislead you, and not always in the same direction.
A sense of the difference
Loose moissanite generally sits in the low hundreds where a mined diamond of matching size sits in the thousands, and the gap widens as the stones get larger, because diamond prices climb faster than size does while moissanite prices climb more gently.
What a finished piece costs here
Clariva necklaces run from about $111 to $192 in Canadian dollars. That is the whole piece, not a loose stone: moissanite set in 925 sterling silver beneath a waterproof, tarnish resistant gold tone, on its chain, with tracked delivery included.
Where a stone size is stated it is given in millimetres rather than in carats, for the reason above. If a listing you are looking at does not give one, write to us and we will find out and tell you.
The piece this was written beside
The Infinite Lariat Necklace, $120.99. Moissanite set in 925 sterling silver beneath a waterproof, tarnish resistant gold tone, on its chain, with tracked delivery included.