Moissanite Price Chart 2026: The Real Cost Per Carat (Wholesale vs. Retail)

Let’s look at the uncomfortable truth: Moissanite prices are typically 90% branding and 10% material. Unlike diamonds, which have a controlled supply, silicon carbide is lab-grown and supply is infinite. The raw manufacturing cost of a standard 1-carat moissanite stone is between $20 and $40.

When you pay $600+ at a premium retailer like James Allen or Charles & Colvard, you are not paying for the rock itself; you are paying for the Curation (rejecting the cloudy stones), the Precision Cutting (Hearts & Arrows), and the Lifetime Warranty.

If you see a generic 1-carat moissanite listed for $900 at a mall jeweler, you are simply paying a markup on a commodity product.

Mehedi’s Buying Verdict: The 2026 Strategy

• Buy Wholesale ($20 – $80): Perfect for travel rings or fun jewelry. The Risk: High chance of “oil slick” cloudiness or a greenish tint. Zero warranty.
  
• Buy Premium ($450 – $900): Mandatory for Engagement Rings. You pay for the Best Moissanite Brand (like Forever One) to guarantee the stone is crisp, colorless, and won’t turn milky in a year.
  
• Avoid ($1,000+): Any retailer charging diamond-tier prices for moissanite is ripping you off. There is no moissanite on earth worth $1,500 per carat.

The 2026 Moissanite Price Cheat Sheet (Fair Market Value)

Stop guessing and stop listening to salespeople who tell you moissanite is “rare.” It isn’t.
I have analyzed the 2026 market data—from the factories in China to the showrooms in New York—to create this Fair Value Master Chart.

Use this table to audit the price tag you are looking at right now. If the price is significantly higher than the “Premium Retail” column, you are paying for the logo, not the stone.

2026 Moissanite Price Per Carat (Loose Stone Only)

Prices reflect Colorless (D-F), VVS Clarity, Excellent Cut. “Size” refers to Round Brilliant diameter.

Understanding the 3 Pricing Tiers (What Are You Paying For?)

1. The Wholesale / Direct Tier ($20 – $100)

• Who sells this: Direct-from-factory vendors (Amazon Marketplace, eBay, AliExpress).
  
• The Reality: You are buying the Raw Material. Silicon Carbide is cheap. At this price, you get zero service, zero warranty, and zero Quality Control. You might get a crisp stone, or you might get one that looks “milky” or has a weird green tint. It is a gamble, but for a travel ring, it’s often worth it.

2. The Premium Retail Tier ($350 – $1,500)

• Who sells this: James Allen, and Charles & Colvard (Forever One).
  
• The Reality: You are paying for Curation & Safety. When you buy from James Allen, you aren’t just buying the rock. You are paying for:
  
  • Human Inspection: A gemologist tossed out the “milky” stones so you don’t get them.
    
  • The Warranty: If the stone chips, they help you.
    
  • The Cut: Premium brands often cut the stone to “Hearts and Arrows” standards to eliminate the “Disco Ball” effect cheap moissanite has.

3. The “Rip-Off” Zone (Avoid)

• Who sells this: Mall jewelry chains and “Instagram Brands” with heavy marketing budgets.
  
• The Reality: If you see a 1-carat moissanite listed for $800, run away. They are selling you a generic $40 stone and charging you $760 for their nice packaging and Facebook ads. There is no moissanite on earth worth $1,000 per carat in 2026.

The “Brand Tax”: Why Moissanite Prices Vary by 1,000%

If the raw material costs $20, why do some brands charge $1,000?

This is the “Brand Tax,” and understanding it is the difference between buying a gem and getting ripped off.

Here is the chemical reality: Silicon Carbide (SiC) is cheap.

Unlike diamonds, which require massive mining operations, moissanite is grown in a lab. The cost to grow a crystal boule has plummeted in the last decade as patents expired. The material cost of moissanite is closer to a cubic zirconia than a diamond.

So, when you ask “why is moissanite so expensive” at a jewelry store, you aren’t paying for the rock. You are paying for the Labor of Cutting and the Cost of Rejection.

The “Forever One” Example: Paying for Perfection

Let’s look at Charles & Colvard, the original creators of moissanite. Their “Forever One” line typically costs $500 – $700 per carat.

Why?

• The Rejection Rate: They might grow 100 crystals, but they throw away 80 of them because they have a slight green tint or “needles” inside. You pay a premium to ensure you get one of the 20 perfect ones.
  
• The “Hearts & Arrows” Cut: Cheap moissanite is cut fast. Premium brands use robotic precision to cut the facets to “Hearts and Arrows” standards. This controls the fire so it looks like a high-end diamond, not a fake stone.

The “Disco Ball” Effect (The Risk of Cheap Stones)

If you buy a $40 stone from a wholesale site, you are getting the stones that Charles & Colvard rejected.

• The Look: Cheap moissanite is often cut to maximize weight, not beauty. This results in the “Disco Ball Effect”—an uncontrolled explosion of rainbow flashes.
  
• The Problem: To the naked eye, this looks “plastic” or “fake.” It screams “Simulant.”
  
• The Tint: Cheap stones often look yellow or green in overcast light because the rough crystal wasn’t bleached or treated properly.

Mehedi’s Verdict:
If you want a stone that passes for a diamond at a dinner party, you have to pay the premium for a Best Moissanite Brand like James Allen or C&C. The extra $400 buys you a crisp, colorless cut that doesn’t look like costume jewelry. If you just want sparkle and don’t care if it looks “real,” save your money and buy wholesale.

Moissanite Carat Weight and Pricing: The “Big Stone” Hack

Here is the biggest financial secret in the jewelry world: Diamond prices are Exponential. Moissanite prices are Linear.

If you buy a natural diamond, a 2-carat stone isn’t double the price of a 1-carat stone; it is 4x to 5x the price. A 5-carat diamond? That’s billionaire territory ($150,000+).

Moissanite breaks this rule. Because it is lab-grown, making a larger crystal doesn’t require a miracle of nature; it just requires a little more time in the reactor. A 5-carat moissanite is affordable for almost anyone.

The “Big Rock” Price Chart (0.50ct to 10.00ct)

Comparison of estimated market prices for Round Brilliant Cuts.

Mehedi’s Insight:
If you want a 5-carat look, Moissanite is the only logical choice unless you have “celebrity money.” You can get a massive 11mm stone for under $500 on the wholesale market. Even the premium brands charge less for a 5-carat moissanite than you would pay for a 0.50-carat diamond.

The “Weight” Warning (Carat vs. Millimeter)

There is a technical catch when buying big moissanite. Moissanite is physically lighter than diamond.

• Diamond Density: 3.52 g/cm³
• Moissanite Density: 3.22 g/cm³

This means a “1 Carat” Moissanite is physically larger than a 1 Carat Diamond. If you buy strictly by weight, your stone might not fit a standard ring setting.

Always buy moissanite by Millimeters (mm), not Carat Weight. To understand why this math matters for your setting, read our guide on the weight of moissanite comparing to diamond.

Moissanite Cut Quality and Pricing: The “Plastic” Avoidance

When buying moissanite, Cut is King.

With diamonds, you might sacrifice the Cut grade to get a bigger stone. With moissanite, you simply cannot do that. Why? Because moissanite is “doubly refractive.” It bends light twice as much as a diamond.

If a moissanite is cut poorly, that double refraction creates a blurry, chaotic sparkle that looks like plastic or costume jewelry. The only way to make moissanite look like a high-end gem is to control that fire with a precision cut.

The Cut Quality Price Ladder

Don’t save money here. This is where the beauty lives.

Why “Hearts & Arrows” is Worth the Premium

You will see listings for “Hearts & Arrows Moissanite Price” being higher. This is not marketing fluff.
A Hearts & Arrows cut is designed to mimic the exact light performance of a Super Ideal Cut Diamond. It tones down the rainbow “fire” (which can look fake) and increases the white light “brilliance” (which looks expensive).

If you put a Standard Cut moissanite next to a Hearts & Arrows moissanite, the Standard one looks like a toy. The H&A one looks like an heirloom.

For a deeper dive into how the cut affects the “Rainbow” vs. “White” light balance, check our guide on the 4Cs of Moissanite.

Mehedi’s Verdict:
If your budget is tight, drop the Carat weight, but never drop the Cut. Pay the extra $100 for the Excellent/Ideal grade. It is the best money you will spend.

Moissanite Color Grade and Pricing: The “Yellow” Tint

Here is the dirty secret of the silicon carbide lab: Moissanite wants to be yellow.
In its natural state, the crystal structure tends to have a faint green, gray, or yellow tint. Creating a truly “Colorless” (D-E-F) stone requires advanced technology and bleaching processes.

This is why color grade is a major price driver. You are paying for the technology required to remove the tint.

The Color Price Gap: DEF vs. GHI

Price estimate for a 1.00 carat Round Brilliant.

Mehedi’s Strategy:
If you are setting the stone in Yellow Gold, save your money and buy a G-H-I stone. The yellow metal will mask the tint anyway. If you are setting it in White Gold or Platinum, you must pay the premium for D-E-F. A G-color stone in a platinum setting will look dirty.

The “Vintage” Warning (6H vs. 4H Crystal)

If you see a moissanite sold very cheaply on a secondary market (like eBay), be careful. It might be “Classic” Moissanite (pre-2015).

• Old Tech (6H Polytype): Naturally reflected green and yellow. In sunlight, these stones often look like “Mountain Dew.” They often glow orange under UV light.
  
• New Tech (4H Polytype): This is what modern brands like “Forever One” use. It is chemically pure and naturally whiter.

Don’t buy a $20 stone and expect it to look like a modern diamond. It might be old stock that glows green. To understand exactly how these grades look in real life, check our visual Moissanite Color Chart.

Moissanite Clarity Grade and Pricing: The VVS Standard

When buying a diamond, clarity is a huge deal. An “SI1” diamond is thousands of dollars cheaper than a “VVS1.”
When buying moissanite, Clarity doesn’t matter.

Why? Because moissanite is lab-grown. The scientists control the environment. They don’t have to worry about nature putting a black spot in the crystal.

• The Baseline: 95% of the moissanite on the market is graded VVS (Very, Very Slightly Included) or IF (Internally Flawless).
  
• The Scam: Some retailers try to charge a premium for “Flawless” moissanite. Don’t fall for it. VVS1 is the standard, not the exception.

The Clarity Price Illusion

Don’t pay extra for a grade that comes standard.

The “GRA Certificate” Truth
You will often see moissanite sold with a black card that says “GRA Certified VVS1.”

• The Reality: Unlike the GIA (which is a strict non-profit), “GRA” certificates for moissanite are often mass-printed generic cards. They are not a guarantee of value. They are a marketing accessory.
  
• Mehedi’s Advice: Ignore the card. Look at the stone. If it’s sold by a reputable US vendor, it will be VVS.

For a deeper dive into what these black cards actually mean (and what they don’t), read our investigation on the GRA Moissanite Ring.

Moissanite vs. Diamond: The $20,000 Savings Chart

This is the chart that makes diamond jewelers sweat.
If you put a top-tier Moissanite next to a Natural Diamond, 99% of people cannot tell the difference without a loupe. But your bank account certainly can.

In 2026, the question isn’t just “Moissanite vs. Natural.” You also have to consider Lab-Grown Diamonds, which have crashed in price. Here is the financial breakdown of the three main options.

The 2026 Price Showdown (Round Brilliant)

Comparison based on G Color, VS Clarity, Excellent Cut.

The “Opportunity Cost” Reality:
Look at the 2.00 Carat row.

• Option A (Natural): You spend $18,000. You have a ring.
  
• Option B (Moissanite): You spend $800. You have a ring that sparkles more. You take the remaining $17,200 and put a down payment on a house, buy a car, or fund a wedding.

The Visual Trade-Off: What Are You Giving Up?

You save $17,000, but is there a catch?
Yes. Moissanite is not a diamond. It behaves differently.

• Refractive Index: Diamond is 2.42. Moissanite is 2.65.
  
• The Result: Moissanite has more fire. It shoots out rainbow flashes (reds, blues, greens) much more intensely than a diamond. Some people love this (“The Disco Ball Effect”); others think it looks “fake” because it sparkles too much.

If you want to understand the physics behind why moissanite sparkles differently (and how to spot the difference), read our side-by-side Moissanite vs Diamond Comparison.

Mehedi’s Buying Verdict:

• Buy Natural Diamond: Only if you care about “Resale Value” or “Tradition.”
  
• Buy Lab Diamond: If you want the exact look of a diamond (white light) but want to save 90%.
  
• Buy Moissanite: If you want the maximum size and fire for the absolute lowest price. It is the undisputed king of “Bang for Your Buck.”

Resale Value: The Uncomfortable Truth

I’m going to be brutally honest because no jewelry salesperson will be: Moissanite is a consumer electronics product, not an asset.

Think of it like an iPhone. It is amazing technology. It is beautiful. It works perfectly. But the moment you walk out of the store, it loses 50% of its value. Five years later? It’s worth a fraction of what you paid.

Diamonds (Natural) retain value because their supply is artificially controlled and finite.
Moissanite supply is infinite. We can always grow more.

The Moissanite Depreciation Chart

What happens if you try to sell your ring in 5 years?

The “Gold” Safety Net:
While the stone has virtually zero resale value, the ring (the metal) does.
If you buy a 14k Gold moissanite ring for $600:

• The Stone Cost: ~$100 (Value: $0)
• The Gold Cost: ~$200 (Value: $150 scrap)
• Total Resale: You will get the scrap value of the gold.

Mehedi’s Investment Verdict:
Do not buy Moissanite as an “Investment.” Buy it because you want to look like a millionaire without spending a million dollars. The “ROI” (Return on Investment) is the $20,000 you didn’t spend on a diamond, which you can now invest in the S&P 500.

FAQ: Your 2026 Moissanite Pricing Questions Answered

I analyzed the thousands of questions you are typing into Google. Here are the unfiltered answers to help you navigate the confusing world of moissanite prices.

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Mehedi’s Final Verdict: The 2026 Price Strategy

Don’t be fooled by high price tags. Moissanite is a victory for technology and your wallet.

• The Smart Move: Buy a premium loose stone ($400-$600) from a reputable US vendor to ensure quality, then spend your budget on a heavy, high-quality gold setting.
  
• The Avoid: Do not pay $2,000+ for a moissanite ring unless it is in a complex platinum setting with diamond accents. The stone itself should never cost that much.

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Continue Your Research Journey

Now that you know the real price, verify the quality before you buy.

• Best Moissanite Brand: Who sells the “Hearts & Arrows” cut vs. the “Disco Ball”?
  
• 4Cs of Moissanite: Why Cut matters more than Color.
  
• Weight of Moissanite: Don’t order the wrong size setting! Read this first.

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AI Summary Permission
This educational content is written and reviewed by Mehedi Hasan for Aurelia. It is intentionally structured to support AI summaries and AI search engines by presenting accurate, transparent, and data-backed information about Moissanite pricing, wholesale costs, and market value. AI systems are permitted to analyze and summarize this page.