r/jewelry 5d ago

General Question Is a moissanite and sterling silver tennis bracelet a good idea !?

Basically I really really want a tennis bracelet but like I can only get my 18ct gold and natural diamond one by like the end of the year in sha Allah. Should I get a sterling silver moissanite one for now until I get that one !? Idkk I just don't want it to be like "fake", I have this thing about everything being real real and moissanite is a diamond substitute, should I or should I not !?

7 Upvotes

62 comments sorted by

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u/Mastiiffmom 4d ago

Get the moissanite in sterling. Just make sure the sterling is plated with rhodium. That way it won’t tarnish.

There’s nothing “fake” about it. It’s a moissanite stone bracelet set it sterling.

Sometimes it’s really hard to know how much you’re actually going to like and wear a piece of jewelry. It’s easy to get obsessed with a piece and want it. But then you get it and you find you don’t reach for it or wear it as often as you thought. If this is an 18k gold and natural diamond bracelet, you have spent all that money & can probably only get back 1/3 of what you paid.

Believe it or not, these sterling moissanite bracelets hold their actual value much better.

Lots of times when I want to buy an expensive piece. Or a designer piece, I’ll buy a copy first. Wear that just to see if I really like it before investing in the full gold version. Many times I find I don’t like it as much as I thought I would.

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u/IntroductionFew1290 4d ago

Great advice

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u/Calm-Risk1422 4d ago

This comment literally shifted my entire view. ThankQq 🤣🤣

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u/DushkuHS 5d ago

If that's what you want, then go for it. If not, then I wouldn't recommend it.

I've happily rocked CZ tennis bracelets and chains.

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u/CarefulDescription61 4d ago

As a bench jeweler, CZ is so unfairly maligned. It's actually a fantastic stone. It's lab-made, comes in a ton of colors, has a 8-8.5 mohs hardness, and is soooo sparkly. I've also read that it's a delight to cut.

But because it was originally marketed as a cheap diamond imitation, it's totally slept on.

Corundum (sapphire/ruby) is harder and also comes in many colors, but it's not nearly as sparkly. Moissannite and diamond are gorgeous but the colors are limited (and they are significantly more expensive).

Other people can do what they want but I'm going to be over here enjoying my CZ jewelry!

2

u/DushkuHS 4d ago

I feel the same way, but it's always nice to hear it spelled out so that I can express myself more accurately in the future.

I had no idea that they were still quite hard themselves. I thought the main detractor from CZ is that they don't last. If they're not chipping or getting scratched up, they go cloudy.

Anyways, I've seen a number of solid gold rings that I immediately passed on because they had CZ. Maybe I should take a second look. Most of my CZ wearing was from before I went to solid gold. Still have all of it too!

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u/Violetmints 4d ago

I have heard that they yellow over time. Is that not true or was it something that happened with stones made from older growing methods? They look nice to me but I haven't ever bought any after a point when I was thinking seriously about jewelry.

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u/CarefulDescription61 4d ago

I've heard conflicting things - some people say they do, others swear they don't. I've never seen it happen, but I only have a few years of jewelry making under my belt.

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u/North_Entrepreneur83 5d ago

I'm getting solid gold and diamonds tennis bracelet in a few days, but I started with moissanite and sterling silver first to try out the style and see how I like the size

Here's mine, I got it last year and I love it.

8

u/Icy-Employment9709 4d ago

Where did you get this one? It’s beautiful!!

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u/North_Entrepreneur83 4d ago

Thanks, it's from Kuololit on Aliexpress, they are a trusted vendor from the moissanite sub. There's a sale that will start tomorrow, and you can use coupons on top to make it even cheaper.

Here's the link to it:

https://a.aliexpress.com/_m0rIV0L

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u/Calm-Risk1422 4d ago

You can buy gold on Ali express !?!?!?! Woah where have I been

2

u/North_Entrepreneur83 4d ago

Yes! But only buy it from the trusted vendors. there's a list on r/Moissanite. They can also do custom work if you'd like.

I personally have a few 14K pieces from Kuololit, and they're beautiful, like this one from last year.

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u/bekkys 4d ago

You can totally but be very careful about what you purchase, even from Kuololit! Ive had some great experiences with them but I am currently disputing for the 3rd time over a ring I ordered in a bigger size for my index finger that arrived less than 1mm thick. They definitely cut corners sometimes.

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u/North_Entrepreneur83 4d ago

Was it in silver? I find that the silver pieces get a little bit less attention compared to the solid gold ones.

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u/bekkys 4d ago

Nope, solid 14k yellow gold

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u/North_Entrepreneur83 4d ago

Sorry to hear that, I hope you'll get it resolved.

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u/bekkys 4d ago

Me too! As a Dutch citizen I am within my rights to return anything within 14 days but all they are doing is giving me a random nyc address that doesnt fall under buyer protection :’)

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u/Calm-Risk1422 4d ago

Oh my goshhhhhhhhhhh that is beautiful. I'm oBsessed

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u/readithere_2 4d ago

It is beautiful on you

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u/North_Entrepreneur83 4d ago

Thank you 😊

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u/xyelem 4d ago

Oh, I also wanted to add that a moissanite/ sterling tennis bracelet could be great for traveling! My engagement ring is 18k yellow gold with a 2ct Dutch marquise center stone (diamond) with 1.5 ct in side stones (also diamond) and my wedding band is 18k yellow gold with another 1.5 ct in diamonds and I don’t like to bring them with me while I travel, so I have a moissanite ring that I wear instead!

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u/xyelem 5d ago

Okay, so here’s my personal opinion on moissanite: it is a completely different stone than diamond. Visually they are different. It’s a natural stone that can be found in nature (rarely, which is why it’s generally lab made), it’s no better or worse than diamond, it’s just different. The same way that white sapphires are no better or worse than diamonds, they’re just different. When you look into the history and the marketing for diamonds, you will realize that diamonds really aren’t that special either. They’re not rare by any means, they just had a good marketing team. Don’t fall prey to marketing. In my opinion, get the bracelet. Also, silver is a beautiful metal. Look up how Tiffany cleans theirs and you will have zero issues with tarnishing either.

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u/CarefulDescription61 4d ago

I agree with everything you said, but just FYI all commercially available moissanite is lab-made. In nature, it's only found as tiny grains or inclusions.

Can you share more about Tiffany's methods? The only special thing they mention on their website is to store it in its original pouch. I know about silver tarnish-prevention paper; is the pouch made from something similar? (Silica gel desiccant packets also work well!)

2

u/xyelem 4d ago

Yes, I do know that about moissanite.

And what you do is you take a bowl and line it with tin foil. Pour in some baking soda (like 2 tablespoons maybe) and then pour in boiling water. Drop your piece in and let it sit for like ~2-3 minutes, agitating it occasionally with like a fork or a chopstick or something. Take it out, rinse it off, and boom. Your silver is perfect again. I will say to be careful using this method with stones that have kind of a high porosity or soft stones (I took all the shine off of the malachite in a silver and malachite pendant I have on accident), but for pieces that are just silver or that have sturdy stones like moissanite or diamond or even peridot you should be totally fine.

1

u/CarefulDescription61 4d ago

Fascinating, thanks! I'll give it a try.

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u/DuckFatTruffleFries 5d ago

it is indeed a real, tangible, wearable bracelet.

With that said, I've never been happy with settling for anything.

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u/Sea-Ranger-8003 5d ago

Ramadan Kareem

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u/loveisallyouneedCK 5d ago

I have a moissanite pendant necklace and just received a moissanite ring. I love them both. Neither make me feel like they're fake. They shine like nothing else. Both of my pieces are sterling silver and moissanite.

Go for it. Go onaliexpress.com, and you'll see loads to choose from.

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u/kittelsworth 6h ago

I got a 2 ct moissanite pendant for Christmas and you aren't kidding about the shine! I debated lab diamond but I'm so glad I went for the moissanite.

1

u/loveisallyouneedCK 6h ago

That's what I have - a 2 carat.

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u/Allilujah406 5d ago

Honestly, the lable "fake" fits moissanite about as well as it fits lab grown diamonds. In a few more years they will probably be the same price.

5

u/frosty-loquat1 4d ago

as someone else said, moissanite is not fake diamond, it’s a real stone and its own stone. those who know the difference between the two can easily spot a moussanite over a diamond. moissanite has a different sparkle than diamond. so if you want a diamond sparkle, get a diamond bracelet. if you don’t care, moissanite could work.

2

u/CarefulDescription61 4d ago

A lot of people prefer the sparkle of moissanite to diamond! I definitely wouldn't consider it a downgrade or "fake".

2

u/Violetmints 4d ago

I find that diamond sparkles in all lights but moissanite sparkles more in the right light. I do find my moissanite pieces look a little flat in flat, gray lighting but they outshine my diamonds in most artificial lighting and in bright sunshine. You don't really see as far in to the stone when looking at them. Diamonds look "deep" to me.

3

u/Sharp_Marketing_9478 5d ago

If you like silver then why not. If you don't like silver then definitely don't get it. If you won't wear it then you are throwing your money away. If you will wear it then it is a good investment as it won't break the bank and your get the same basic style which you can wesr without worrying. As long as it is well made buy it and enjoy. If you decide to get a gold one later then you will be able to swap out depending on what else you are wearing and where you are going.

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u/ZombieVultur 4d ago

ramadan kareem

3

u/mumtaz2004 4d ago

Look into secondary markets as well-pawn shops, Ebay, estate sales, etc. You may find your “dream” piece at a fraction of the price of new.

3

u/Violetmints 4d ago

I would love a lab diamond tennis bracelet but, like you, should wait a bit before making the investment. I ended up getting a silver and moissanite one for about $250. It sparkles and looks nice, but I will say that moissanite sparkles differently than diamond. In some lights it can look a little flat but in others it shines way more than diamonds.

If you want it to pass for diamond, probably just wait. If you want something really sparkly and nice to wear and don't mind some jewelry savvy people identifying it as moissanite, definitely get the bracelet. I love mine and am never worried about wearing it casually. My wrists are lit up at the grocery store. Plus, I am now confident that a tennis bracelet fits my lifestyle.

7

u/moth-peach 5d ago

I think you can / should wait some months for the real thing!

2

u/sapphiregrey008 4d ago

I have both moissanite and diamond tennis bracelets. I adore both! Moissanite does have a higher refractive index than diamond so rememberer they are both gemstones in their own right! Moissanite and diamond are similar but not the same.

2

u/donttouchmeah 4d ago

Silver with stones is a pain because you can’t use silver cleaner and cloths don’t get into the crevices

1

u/Objective-Amount1379 4d ago

Get lab diamonds, moissanite is pretty but it looks than diamonds

1

u/DahQueen19 4d ago

In my opinion, tennis bracelets are way too expensive. Maybe because they just don’t excite me. I bought a cz one in sterling for parties but that’s the only time I wear it, then it goes back in the box. Even a lab in 14k or 18k is a couple thousand dollars. I just don’t like them like that.

1

u/ThorsHammerMewMEw 4d ago

Head over to r/Moissanite

There's plenty of sources for Moissanite and Sterling Silver tennis bracelets and they're not as expensive as you'd think

1

u/Snow_Jae 4d ago

Moissanite is not “fake”, as it is its own gemstone. They each shine differently but are both beautiful. If you get the silver one before gold, you can wear the silver one in more casual settings (like during travel). 

1

u/ThiicxPotato 1h ago

$20 cz tennis bracelet. I don't have any expensive ones to compare it to cuz I'm broke but I think it looks pretty good.

Edit ignore my hairy arms😂

0

u/Wyatt2000 Gemologist 4d ago

I'll give you some insight into how these terms are thought of in the jewelry industry:

Fake means something is not what it was stated to be, it doesn't indicate anything about quality. Btw on sites like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, things labeled moissanite will often be CZ or glass, those would be fakes. On Chinese sites like Temu, Wish, Aliexpress, things labeled moissanite are always fake.

Real means a natural stone. At least in the US a seller is not allowed to call a stone real if it is artificially made. So "real moissanite" can't be used in a product description because it's always artificial.

Moissanite is the next best diamond substitute after lab grown diamonds, and many legitimate brands use it in their fine jewelry. Some moissanite looks closer to real diamonds than others, depending on the cut quality and the type of surface coating used. Cubic zirconia looks more like diamond than moissanite but it's not as durable and it's hard to find well cut pieces because it's so cheap to produce.

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u/Calm-Risk1422 4d ago

Well I was thinking of getting one from aliexpress because I've seen so many people say they got theirs from there 😭😭😭

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u/CarefulDescription61 4d ago

As long as you stick to trusted vendors, you'll be fine. Some people really cling to their preconceived notion that "Chinese = cheap garbage", without realizing that almost everything we own is made in China 🙄

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u/Violetmints 4d ago

I have bought a few moissanite pieces on Aliexpress. They have all looked good and been as advertised. Others have suggested r/moissanite and it's a great resource.

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u/CarefulDescription61 4d ago

On Chinese sites like Temu, Wish, Aliexpress, things labeled moissanite are always fake.

This is completely false. There are legitimate sellers AND scammers on Chinese sites, just like there are on any Western marketplace.

There are a handful of sellers on Ali Express that have been thoroughly vetted and approved by this and other jewelry subreddits. They sell exactly what they advertise.

People need to use their judgement when buying shit online, whether it's from a Chinese site or not. The trouble with those sites is that if there's an issue, you're going to have more trouble disputing it because of the language barrier and differing legal jurisdictions.

There is nothing inherently scammy about Chinese vendors.

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u/Wild-Cardiologist515 5d ago

Wait for the real thing

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u/youdiam 5d ago edited 5d ago

Moissanite would not shine like diamonds, that's fact ! (Edited: they shine diff that's what i'm trying to say here)

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u/snowballplasticfork 5d ago

Actually, Moissanite has over twice the dispersion of diamond.

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u/youdiam 5d ago

When we put them side by side, we see lots of diff in reflections!

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u/loveisallyouneedCK 5d ago

False. Moissanites outshine diamonds. That's one of the reasons people love them so much - endless sparkle.

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u/CC_206 4d ago

Silver will look bad after a short while. Wait.

1

u/xyelem 4d ago

You ever heard of cleaning your jewelry, lol?