You've fallen in love with a moissanite engagement ring, but one question keeps nagging: will it actually last? You've heard conflicting stories about cloudiness, fading, and scratched stones.
Here's the truth: just like a diamond, moissanite can last a lifetime with just a little care and attention. In this guide, we're not only answering how long do moissanite rings last, but also busting common myths about cloudiness and scratching, and explaining why moissanite is built for everyday wear.
Understanding Durability: How Long Do Moissanite Rings Last
When people ask "do moissanite rings last," they're really asking about three things: hardness, toughness, and color stability. Let's break down each one and compare moissanite to diamond and other popular gemstone options.
Hardness: Resists Scratching
Moissanite ranks 9.25 on the Mohs scale. That puts it just below diamond (10) and well above other stones:
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Diamond: 10
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Moissanite: 9.25
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Sapphire: 9
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Rubies: 9
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Emeralds: 7.5-8
This hardness makes moissanite extremely scratch resistant, far more than softer stones that show wear quickly. Your moissanite ring handles daily wear without the surface damage that ruins other gems.
Toughness: Resists Chipping
Here's where moissanite actually beats diamond. Diamond has cleavage planes—weak spots where the stone can split if hit just right. Moissanite doesn't.
Moissanite is uniformly strong throughout with no weak spots. This means less risk of impact damage from accidental knocks, crucial for engagement rings worn all day, every day.
Color Stability: Stays Beautiful Forever
High-quality colorless moissanite maintains its pristine color permanently. Unlike some gemstones that yellow with age or exposure to light, moissanite's crystal structure is inherently stable. The stone won't fade, shift toward warmer tones, or develop any color changes over time.
This stability comes from moissanite's composition—silicon carbide doesn't degrade or react to environmental factors like UV light, heat, or everyday chemicals. Whether you wear your ring for five years or fifty, the stone retains the exact same color grade it had the day you bought it.
Will Moissanite Get Cloudy or Lose Its Sparkle?
This is one of the most common questions we hear. The short answer? No—but let's explain why this myth exists.
The Cloudiness Myth
Moissanite doesn't permanently cloud. Ever. What people mistake for cloudiness is usually just surface buildup:
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Soap residue
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Lotion and oils
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Hard water deposits
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Dirt and grime
This film sits on top of your moissanite gemstone and blocks light. It creates temporary dullness that wipes right off with cleaning. The stone itself hasn't changed at all.
Sparkle Lasts Forever
Once again, the brilliance and fire of moissanite come from its crystal structure. And that structure is permanent, meaning your moissanite will stay sparkly forever since that silicon carbide composition doesn't lose its optical properties.
Everyday Durability: Does Moissanite Last as Long as a Diamond?
How long does moissanite last in real life? Let's talk about the practical durability you can expect from moissanite engagement rings.
Daily Wear and Performance
Moissanite's durability makes it ideal for constant wear. Whether set in white gold, yellow gold, or platinum, a moissanite ring will easily handle:
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Typing and computer work
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Washing hands dozens of times daily
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Light housework and cooking
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Gym sessions and workouts
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Travel and adventures
The hardness rating means your ring stays beautiful through all these activities without showing wear.
Heat Resistance
Moissanite is extremely heat-tolerant—up to 2,000°F. Jewelers can use torches during repairs without worry about damaging the stone. Extreme heat might cause temporary visual differences in color, but these disappear completely once the stone cools back to room temperature.
When to Remove Your Ring
While moissanite is durable, certain situations can damage your setting or loosen prongs. Remove your ring for:
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Swimming in chlorinated pools: Chlorine weakens metal over time and can cause discoloration, particularly in white gold and yellow gold settings.
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Cleaning with bleach or harsh chemicals: These chemicals won't hurt the moissanite stone, but they can corrode metal and cause pitting in your setting.
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Heavy manual labor or construction work: Hammering, lifting heavy materials, or working with tools can bend prongs or knock stones loose from their settings.
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Contact sports: Basketball, boxing, rock climbing, or similar activities risk impact damage to both the setting and potentially catching the ring on equipment.
These precautions protect your prongs and metal more than the moissanite itself. The stone can handle the abuse—your setting cannot.
Still, does moissanite last as long as a diamond? Absolutely—both are excellent options that will outlast the wearer with proper care.
Caring for Your Moissanite: Everyday and Long-Term Maintenance
Your moissanite engagement ring is built to last generations, but like any fine jewelry, it needs some basic care. Let's break down what that actually looks like—both day-to-day and over the years.
Everyday Care: Simple Cleaning
The single most important thing you can do? Keep your ring clean. Buildup from soap, lotion, and oils is what makes moissanite look dull.
When you notice your ring losing its sparkle, clean it with this simple process:
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Mix warm water with a drop of mild dish soap
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Soak the ring for 5-10 minutes to loosen residue
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Gently scrub with a soft brush (a soft toothbrush works perfectly)
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Rinse thoroughly under warm running water
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Pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth
Do this whenever buildup is visible. Between cleanings, store your ring in a jewelry box to protect it from dust and oils when you're not wearing it.
Also, avoid harsh chemicals like chlorine and bleach. While they won't hurt the moissanite stone itself, they can damage your metal setting over time.
Long-Term Maintenance: Protecting the Setting
The moissanite stone lasts forever, but the setting needs periodic attention to ensure your ring stays secure and beautiful:
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Annual professional inspections: A jeweler checks your prongs for wear, looks for loose stones, and catches small problems before they become big ones.
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Prong retipping when needed: Over years of wear, prongs gradually wear down from friction. When they get too thin, a jeweler can rebuild them to keep your stone secure. This typically happens every 10-15 years, depending on your lifestyle.
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Professional deep cleaning: While home cleaning handles surface residue, professional ultrasonic cleaning reaches areas you can't—under the stone, in tight crevices, and along the band.
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Resizing if necessary: Bodies change over time. If your ring no longer fits comfortably, a jeweler can resize it without affecting the moissanite at all.
These maintenance steps ensure your ring—not just the stone—endures as a true heirloom piece that you can confidently pass down to future generations.
Warranties for Peace of Mind
Reputable jewelers back their work with warranties. At Gema&Co, every moissanite stone is backed by a limited lifetime warranty against defects and discoloration. The settings and workmanship are covered separately with a two-year warranty, giving you added peace of mind that both the gemstone and the jewelry are built to last.
Find the Perfect Moissanite Engagement Ring at Gema&Co
Moissanite is built to last a lifetime, equal to diamond in practical, everyday terms. Likewise, the stone maintains its brilliance and fire forever with simple care.
But beyond durability, moissanite is unique in its combination of ethical sourcing and exceptional value. So, you get a beautiful gemstone that's extremely durable, responsibly made, and built for generations.
Ready to find your perfect ring? Browse Gema&Co's moissanite engagement ring collection, where every stone is hand-selected for superior clarity. Or work with our design team to create something completely custom.
Frequently Asked Questions: Does Moissanite Last?
How long do moissanites last?
Moissanites last a lifetime regardless of the jewelry type—whether set in rings, earrings, pendants, or bracelets. The stone itself is virtually indestructible and won't degrade, crack, or lose its clarity over decades, making moissanite ideal for any fine jewelry piece you want to wear daily or pass down through generations.
Is moissanite considered fake?
No—moissanite is a real gemstone with its own distinct properties, not a diamond imitation. Composed of silicon carbide, it was originally discovered in meteorites before scientists learned to create it in labs, giving us the colorless moissanite used in fine jewelry today.
Does moissanite lose its sparkle?
No—moissanite's brilliance and fire are permanent features of its crystal structure. Any temporary dullness you notice is just surface buildup from lotions, soaps, or oils that wipes away with a quick clean, revealing the unchanged sparkle underneath.
Does moissanite scratch easily?
No—moissanite ranks 9.25 on the Mohs scale, making it one of the hardest substances on earth. Only diamond (10) and a few industrial materials are harder, so your moissanite ring resists scratching from virtually everything you encounter in daily wear.
How good is moissanite for engagement rings?
Moissanite is an excellent choice for engagement rings, offering diamond-level durability at a fraction of the cost. Beyond affordability, moissanite delivers superior light and fire, ethical lab-creation, and performance that holds up beautifully through decades of everyday wear.
