Moissanite vs lab diamond grillz: how to choose

Two stones, one job: maximum sparkle

Moissanite and lab diamond are the two stones we set most often on iced grillz, and from arm's length they can look remarkably similar — bright, clear and full of light. Up close, and in terms of what they actually are, they're quite different materials with different price points.

What moissanite is

Moissanite is a lab-created gemstone made from silicon carbide, not a type of diamond. It has a higher refractive index than diamond, which means it bends and scatters light more aggressively — in practice, that shows up as a slightly more rainbow-coloured sparkle rather than diamond's whiter flash. We set VVS-clarity moissanite, the clearest grade, so stones look clean with no visible inclusions.

Moissanite is harder than almost every gemstone other than diamond, so it holds up well to the daily wear a grillz set goes through.

What a lab diamond is

A lab-grown diamond is grown under controlled conditions that replicate how natural diamond forms, and it is chemically, physically and optically identical to a mined diamond — the difference is entirely in how it was created, not what it's made of. We set lab diamonds in VVS or VS clarity depending on the combination, both grades where any inclusions are difficult to see without magnification.

What natural diamond adds

Natural diamond is mined rather than grown, and it costs more than an equivalent lab-grown stone largely because of the extra scarcity and extraction cost rather than any visible difference in sparkle. We set natural VS-clarity diamonds for anyone who specifically wants a mined stone.

Price comparison, per tooth

Here's how the three stone types compare at the same metal and karat, in AUD:

• Silver + VVS moissanite — A$250 per tooth
• Silver + VVS lab diamond — A$320 per tooth
• 9K gold + moissanite — A$590 per tooth
• 9K gold + VS lab diamond — A$760 per tooth
• 9K gold + natural VS diamond — A$1,100 per tooth
• 14K gold + VVS lab diamond — A$950 per tooth
• 14K gold + natural VS diamond — A$1,300 per tooth
• 18K gold + VVS lab diamond — A$1,200 per tooth
• 18K gold + natural VS diamond — A$1,500 per tooth

Which one should you pick

If maximum sparkle for your budget is the goal, moissanite gets you there for less. If you specifically want diamond — lab-grown or natural — for what it is rather than purely how it looks, a lab diamond gives you the real thing at a lower price than a natural stone of equivalent clarity. Either way, we're happy to talk through the trade-offs for your specific set before you commit to a design.