Okay, so I’ve been hearing a lot about “IGI moissanite” lately, and honestly, I was kinda clueless. I mean, I knew moissanite was a diamond alternative, but IGI? What’s that all about? So, I decided to do a deep dive and, well, here’s what I found out, step by step.
My Moissanite Mission: Getting to the Bottom of IGI
First things first, I needed to understand what IGI even is. Turns out, it stands for the International Gemological Institute. They’re basically like the report card people for gemstones. They grade diamonds, lab-grown diamonds, and, you guessed it, moissanite.
My next step was to see how IGI actually grades moissanite. With diamonds, it’s all about the 4 C’s (cut, clarity, color, carat). I figured it would be the same, but I wanted to be sure.
So, I started digging around online. I looked at a ton of websites, and honestly, it got a little overwhelming. But I kept at it. I learned IGI pretty much uses similar ideas to diamond grading for moissanite. They check out:
- Color: How colorless (or not) the stone is.
- Clarity: If there are any little imperfections (inclusions) inside.
- Cut: How well the stone is shaped and how much it sparkles.
- Carat Weight: The size of the stone.
The IGI report also describes things like the moissanite’s polish and symmetry,which is good to know when looking for detail.
After that, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole looking at pictures and videos of IGI-certified moissanite. I wanted to see if I could actually tell the difference between, say, a “good” cut and an “excellent” cut. It’s tougher than you think! But I started to get a feel for what to look for.
Finally, I checked out some places that sell IGI-certified moissanite. I wanted to get an idea of price and see the reports for myself. It was definitely helpful to see the actual IGI certificate alongside the stone. It made the whole thing feel more…legit, you know?
I have comfirmed when buying IGI moissanite, make sure you are able to check all detail of the report.
