Moissanite: The Second Hardest Mineral in Nature after Diamond

The colours seen in moissanite from the Mount Carmel space of northern Israel vary from darkish blue to mild inexperienced.

Formula: SiC
System: Hexagonal
Colour: Green, black, Blue, Colorless, Green yellow, Yellow
Lustre: Vitreous
Hardness: 9½

Moissanite is the identify given to naturally occurring silicon carbide and to its numerous crystalline polymorphs. It has the chemical method SiC and is a uncommon mineral, found by the French chemist Henri Moissan in 1893. Silicon carbide is beneficial for business and industrial purposes resulting from its hardness, optical properties and thermal conductivity.

Mineral moissanite was found by Henri Moissan whereas analyzing rock samples from a meteor crater situated in Canyon Diablo, Arizona, in 1893. At first, he mistakenly recognized the crystals as diamonds, however in 1904 he recognized the crystals as silicon carbide. The mineral was named in his honour.

The mineral type of silicon carbide was named moissanite in honor of Moissan afterward in his life. The discovery within the Canyon Diablo meteorite and different locations was challenged for a very long time as carborundum contamination from man-made abrasive instruments.

Geology:
Moissanite, in its pure type, could be very uncommon. It has solely been found in a small number of locations from higher mantle rock to meteorites. Discoveries have proven that moissanite happens naturally as inclusions in diamonds, xenoliths, and ultramafic rocks reminiscent of kimberlite and lamproite. They have additionally been recognized in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites as presolar grains.

The colours seen in moissanite from the Mount Carmel space of northern Israel vary from darkish blue to mild inexperienced. Note the damaged or rounded morphology. Composite. photograph by Aurélien Delaunay.

 References:
Gemological Institute of America Inc.
Webmineral
Mindat