Company, Raleigh, N.C. found 28 out of 30 jewelers mistakenly identified synthetic Moissanite as a diamond. (Jeweler's Circular Keystone, December, 1996 issue)

Moissanite, in it's natural form is quite rare and was discovered by Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Henri Moissan in 1904. it was found in a meteorite in Arizona's Diablo Canyon. The celestial gemstone was discovered, because it closely resembled a diamond, although it is believed to have formed quite differently from natural diamonds.

Synthetic Moissanite mimics a diamond so closely, that C-3 Company has been working on a "Gizmo" to readily distinguish authentic from simulant. Details on the new patent pending are top secret until the product is released later this year.

Synthetic Moissanite can be distinguished from a natural diamond by gemological training and a microscope, if the stone is unmounted. Synthetic Moissanite is doubly refractive (an optical effect of seeing a double image), and a diamond is singly refractive. However, most people, including most jewelers, would still be fooled. Even this identifying characteristic is being minimized by C-3 Company by creative cutting. Thus, even though C-3 takes a strong position on full disclosure, the company is striving to fool the consumers.

The Federal Trade Commission (F.T.C.) mandates disclosure of all simulants and synthetics. However, disclosure in this case will not protect the public. Thousands of carats of synthetic Moissanite will soon find their way to the secondary markets as diamonds, and consumers will be defrauded for millions of dollars.

The fracture-filled diamond scam ramifications that have hurt the jewelry industry will pale in comparison to this latest technological nightmare. Besides the promulgated "Caveat Emptor" paranoia that will fill the newspapers and television prime-time shows, each and every jeweler and Gemologist will be forced to buy a new "Gizmo" for whatever price C-3 Company deems corporately profitable.

The ambiguity of selling the public a new simulant, that looks, feels, and acts like a diamond while still protecting the public, could be solved in one (1) word, "lasering". Most of the ramifications could be avoided altogether by simply mandating lasering on the girdle of the stone using the word "Simulant". Yet, this simple solution is doomed, because in order to force the industry to buy a new "Gizmo", thousands of consumers will have to be victimized. Don't become a victim. Dr. Gem® offers FREE consumer pamphlets. For additional information on this "Consumer Alert", write to: Jewels and Diamonds™ 8275 West Bradshaw Street, Homassasa, FL 34448.