Moissanite Tennis Necklaces

Moissanite Tennis Necklaces

There are two things to know about the moissanite tennis necklace. First, here’s the history of the necklace. The tennis necklace is an evolution, if you will, of the tennis bracelet. In 1979, tennis star Chris Evert lost her bracelet during a match. This was a slender bracelet completely set with diamonds of the same size and cut. This simple and elegant style of bracelet has been popular ever since and gave birth to the simple, elegant, iced out necklace.

The second thing to know is something about moissanite. Moissanite is even more brilliant than diamond, for it has a higher refractive index. This measures how much light bends as it passes through the material, and this bending adds to the jewel’s radiance and fire. Moissanite is also nearly as hard as diamond and harder than rubies or sapphires. But while diamond is pure carbon, moissanite is silicon carbide. Diamonds are produced deep in the earth. Moissanite is literally from outer space. The first specimens were found in a meteor! Though diamond merchants want you to believe that diamond is rare – it’s actually not that rare – moissanite is rarer still. It’s so rare that gem-quality pieces need to be produced in the lab. The good news about this is that moissanite is much less expensive than diamond. A moissanite tennis chain set in gold that costs a couple of hundred dollars would cost thousands if it were set with diamonds. By the way, you can purchase a moissanite diamond tennis chain, though it would be hard to tell the difference between the gems. The cost might be somewhere between that of a wholly moissanite and wholly diamond necklace.

The quality of moissanite is judged along the same lines as diamond. For example, a VVS tennis necklace made of moissanite or diamonds means that the gemstones are Very Very Slightly included. This means that the flaws in the stones are eye clean, or they’re so tiny that they’re hard to see with the unaided eye.

As with diamonds, moissanite gems can be set in a wealth of metals. These range from different types of gold, including white gold, yellow gold and rose gold. They can be set in sterling silver, palladium and platinum. Don’t think that moissanite tennis necklaces are only for women. There are gorgeous examples of men's moissanite chains and moissanaite tennis bracelets. No doubt there’s one for you or your loved one.