Fashion - Maxblog

What Is Moissanite?

Moissanite is an exquisitely beautiful gemstone, and is an excellent choice for an affordable engagement ring. It’s nearly as hard as diamond and will last a lifetime, guaranteed. With more fire and brilliance than a diamond, it’s an eye-catching center stone that will light up a room.

MOISSANITE IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GEMSTONES IN THE WORLD

Many see more sparkle, fire and brightness from a moissanite than from a diamond.

Moissanite is more brilliant than a diamond on the Brilliance Refractive Index (which measures a gem’s sparkle).

Moissanite has a greater dispersion and iridescence (commonly referred to as “fire”) than a diamond.

Moissanite has double the brightness of a diamond: It’s twice as refractive as a diamond. Refractivity is how many times light is “bent” when it passes through a gemstone.

NOW A LAB-CREATED STUNNER

The naturally occurring mineral moissanite was discovered by Henri Moissan while examining rock samples from a meteor crater located in Canyon Diablo, Arizona. Henri mistakenly identified moissanite as a diamond, but later he correctly identified the crystals as silicon carbide. This mineral form of silicon carbide was named “Moissanite” in honor of Henri, later on in his life.

While moissanite is a naturally occurring material, it is incredibly rare to find. In 1998, the lab creation of moissanite was perfected through a sophisticated, scientific process and then offered widely to the consumer market.

AN AFFORDABLE, DURABLE, AND ECO-CONSCIOUS ALTERNATIVE TO A MINED DIAMOND

The moissanite gemstones we offer are exclusively lab created. Moissanite gemstones are colorless (graded D, E, or F), of high clarity (VS1 or better), and are manufactured to an Excellent Cut, Polish and Symmetry.

Moissanite is extremely durable and can be set and finished into all types of fine jewelry.

Moissanite ranks on the Mohs hardness scale at 9.25 or better.

Moissanite is less susceptible to cracking and chipping than a diamond as it has greater tensile strength and is less brittle than diamond.

What are the Pros and Cons of Moissanite?

What is a moissanite stone if not the best very of both worlds: decidedly premium quality and genuine affordability. With more than twice the fire of a diamond at a fraction of the cost, durable moissanite gemstone combines luxury and accessibility.

According to the International Gemstone Society, by spending less than $1,000, you can receive a moissanite stone the size of a one-carat diamond for three times less than the standard cost—and all without compromising on color or clarity. In fact, our lab-created diamond simulants cost up to 90% less than mined diamonds while featuring sparkling brilliance, long-lasting durability, and unique premium cuts. A stunning gemstone at a stunningly low price point? It’s no wonder that so many modern couples choose to commemorate their love with moissanite jewelry and engagement rings.

Pro: Ethical Origins

Every aspect of a moissanite stone shines, including its origins. Ethically sourced, lab-grown moissanite gemstone is renowned for its conflict-free nature and environmentally friendly processes, removed from unethical mining practices and engineered by scientists with sustainable practices in mind. Look and feel your best in diamond alternatives crafted with conscientious care and the utmost attention to clarity, color and cut. With eco-friendly simulants that dazzle just like diamonds—but don’t compromise your comfort or arrive with hidden costs—you can sparkle with confidence and enjoy beautiful peace of mind.

Pro: Irresistibly Sparkly

If you’re looking to turn heads and win hearts, it’s hard to find a more eye-catching or radiant stone than moissanite. This eco-friendly diamond alternative may even compete with the cut, clarity, and brilliance of comparable mined diamonds measured on the standard diamond carat size chart. But unlike mined diamonds which emit colorless flashes when exposed to light, silicon carbide is double-refractive, creating a multi-hued rainbow of shimmer with every turn of the stone or encounter with light. What does this mean for your premium Nexus Diamond™ jewelry? More fire, more brilliance and more sparkle in your go-to pendant, engagement ring or custom design.

Pro: Seriously Durable

Moissanite ranks a 9.25 out of 10 on the industry-standard Mohs Scale of Hardness, just a touch under the ranking of mined diamonds. The serious durability of moissanite makes it a perfect choice for the center stone in your fine jewelry pieces. Given their top-notch brilliance and incredible tensile strength, our lab-grown diamond simulants deliver elegance and dazzle, without the worries about breaks, chips and cracks. Keep in mind, however, that certain gemstone cuts and shapes may require more delicate handling than others. Pear cuts and other elegant shapes may benefit from special settings that can help protect against everyday stress and damage. Speak with one of our experts about your unique needs.

Pro: Visibly Flawless

Lab-grown moissanite will certainly make an appealing option if your gemstone’s clarity is a top priority. Our moissanite diamond alternatives must achieve a clarity grade of VS or higher to be sold on the market. In other words, when you choose moissanite, you’re guaranteed a gorgeous stone with no visible flaws, perfect in appearance to the naked eye. And, when it comes to this gemstone, good things do last forever. This sparkly stone keeps its brilliance over time, so your fine jewelry can live on as a stunning heirloom piece that dazzles for generations to come.

Con: Slightly Different Sparkle Than Diamonds

While lab-grown moissanite offers greater brilliance than mined diamonds, differences in composition between the two gemstones result in slightly distinct sparkle patterns. Moissanite’s superior clarity—free of the inclusions and color variations in its mined counterparts—comes from a shift in light refraction properties. Moissanite is doubly refractive, which means that it sparkles much more—and much more colorfully—than the single refractive diamond.

While many delight in the dramatic blaze of this lab-grown dazzler, moissanite’s rainbow shimmer is distinctive—it does not perfectly match the white sparkle of real diamonds. The difference can be extremely subtle, especially with smaller stones, but experts with a trained eye can identify a diamond vs moissanite center stone based on sparkle alone.

Con: Hints of Warm Undertones

Colorless moissanite makes a fantastic alternative for those looking to simulate the versatility of the diamond. To attain its prized colorless quality, each gem undergoes a whitening process during its development. However, the ultimate degree of moissanite’s colorlessness may vary slightly from stone to stone. Some gems closely compare to near-colorless diamonds, while others may be slightly warmer in color with hints of yellow and green.

If you’re concerned about the hue of your gemstone, our experts can help you find your perfect diamond simulant. Each of our carefully crafted moissanite stones earns D, E, or F grades on the color scale of D to Z, with D being colorless.

Con: Less Access to Repairs, Resizing, and Resetting

While moissanite is one of the most promising additions to the world of fine jewelry, its innovative nature may make it more challenging to find jewelers that specialize in your stone in the event that you’re interested in resizing or resetting—at least compared to the many jewelers who work with mined diamonds.

Additionally, certain critics of moissanite argue that the stone does not retain its value over time. But this critique is not unique to moissanite; the same has been said of mined diamonds and other diamond alternatives within the retail space. It’s even possible that—given its durable quality and forever brilliance—moissanite boasts unparalleled longevity. If you have questions about caring for your moissanite jewelry through the years, our experts are happy to share insights and resources.

Where is the best place here in Chicago Illinois or United States to buy or order a good moissanite 1 carat stone diamond and is moissanite better than Diamond Nexus for engagement ring purposes like being worn every day on a woman’s finger?

If you decide to order a 1 carat moissanite, or a large moissanite engagement ring online, two of our top recommendations include:

Moissanite Wedding Rings by Brilliant Earth: Here you will find ready-made moissanite rings in variety of styles, you can choose which ring metal you would like (platinum, 14k gold, 18k gold, rose gold) and Brilliant Earth also maintains a selection of Loose Moissanite Stones that you can select for a custom designed ring.

Moissanite Rings by Gemvara: At Gemvara you’ll find an extensive selection of Moissanite Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands in styles that can be modified by moissanite gemstone size and metal (platinum, gold, rose gold, silver).

Another reliable resource for quality moissanite jewelry and rings is Charles & Colvard moissanite. Private retailers sell this designer’s brand, you can also find a wide selection of Charles & Colvard moissanite rings on Overstock – many on sale.

On our Man Made Diamonds page you can see a comparison of moissanite to stones like Diamond Nexus (or Asha or Miadonna).

It’s important to understand that these are two very different products. Moissanite is a real gemstone (synthetic lab-created moissanite has the exact same properties as natural moissanite) which has it’s own characteristics. Typically it has more fire and flash than a diamond, moissanite sometimes has a slight color tint too which is why moissanite by reputable sellers is the best choice.

Stones like Asha, Miadonna and Diamond Nexus are made with re-enforced cubic zironia that is usually treated with a strong carbon-particle coat. These stones can have a flash and fire that is more similar to diamonds.

Which is best in terms of strength? That is still debatable considering that carbon-coated CZ has not be around as long as moissanite, so it’s difficult to know if this type of stone can hold up to long-term durability compared to moissanite.

Moissanite rings are known to stand up to daily-wear, especially when combined with strong metals like platinum and gold.

High Quality Men’s T-Shirts of Our Store

Come to us and choose from our wide range of men’s t-shirts. They are made of top quality. We have them in all sizes and in all colors and color combinations. If you want them, visit our store and choose the ones you like the most. We will be glad if you order at least some of them.

We offer many types of products

One of the most popular products in our store is high-quality men’s t-shirts. However, you will also find many other products on our shelves that will surely catch your eye. Come and choose the product that best meets all your expectations. All of them are original and modern. Our people will love them. They are comfortable. They are suitable for leisure. We are looking forward to all your orders.

Why renew your wedding vows?

What motivates a couple to renew their wedding vows inevitably varies from couple to couple. Celebrant of the Year, humanist wedding celebrant Jane Blackman looks at the many and varied reasons for couples to renew their wedding vows.

Just as each couple’s relationship is totally unique, often their reasons for choosing to reaffirm their commitments to each other, are very personal and individual. That individuality is the perfect starting point for planning a vow renewal ceremony when I meet a couple and we begin to talk, to plan, and to create a bespoke ceremony for them.

First and foremost, the simplest, but the most powerful motivator for couples, is that they want to truly celebrate the strength of their love and their ongoing relationship – no matter how long or short their marriage so far.

Some couples arrange a vow renewal to mark a milestone wedding anniversary. Whilst any anniversary is absolutely appropriate, couples often choose to renew their promises to each other on a special anniversary such as their 5th (wood) 10th (tin), 20th (china), 25th (silver), 30th (pearl), 40th (ruby) or 50th (gold).

Other couples wish to use their ceremony to acknowledge and express gratitude that their relationship sits happily within an important group of people who mean so much to them and who contribute to their sense of fulfilment and contentment in life, therefore enhancing their marriage. They may choose to gather loved ones and close friends around them – reliving the fond memories of their wedding day – having everyone special to them together in a lovely place – a wonderful excuse for a personalised, memorable party – which includes and engages the most important people in the couple’s lives.

For some couples, the renewal of vows is to acknowledge that they have had significant challenges to cope with, and that as a result of the strength of their partnership, they have together overcome hardship. Perhaps there has been a period of significant illness to endure, or maybe a time of financial strain.

Whatever the difficulties experienced as a pair, celebrating getting through those tough times and the subsequent better times, is the perfect reason to hold a vow renewal celebration.

As well as celebrating the past and sharing gratitude for all that has been enjoyed and achieved together, a vow renewal is a wonderful opportunity to look forward as a pair, to times yet to come and to express hopes and aspirations for the future.

Some couples not only choose to reaffirm the promises that they made to each other on their original wedding day, but many decide to add to those original vows (or to state new promises altogether), writing and making further pledges, to acknowledge their maturing and changing relationship over time. In doing so, couples are able to celebrate the strength of their union and those successful elements of their partnership that have brought them to this point – promising to continue to do those things that bring continued joy and contentment.

A wedding vow renewal ceremony dedicates quality time to reflect on a relationship with a clear, meaningful purpose for that reflection. On every occasion when I’ve met with a couple to talk with them about their ‘story’ and their marriage so far, in preparation for their ceremony, they’ve reported thoroughly enjoying that part of the overall process; really benefiting from the opportunity to consider what makes them tick as a couple, what they continue to adore about each other and how they see their marriage moving forward into the future.

In my experience, a vow renewal can be an occasion full of much fun, laughter, and joy, as well as some very moving, life-affirming moments. So, what’s not to love about getting together with those people who make you happiest, to clap, cheer, and whoop together, to celebrate the continuing marriage of two human beings, who have chosen to stick together for life, because both continue to agree that each of them is still the perfect match for the other?

Wedding traditions | Confetti

Humanist wedding ceremonies are flexible and can incorporate a range of wedding traditions from around the world – and that includes the throwing of confetti.

Throwing confetti is a long-standing tradition, with guests showering the married couple with well wishes for the future. It also makes for stunning wedding photos!

Sanayar and Steve by Nikki van der Molen

Chloe and Josh by Alex Miller Photography

Choosing the right confetti can create endless creative opportunities for you to tell your unique, personal love story, and a humanist celebrant will always be able to help you devise the right device or secular ritual to tell your story.

For example, you might choose the colours of your favourite football team, colours that represent pride or gender confirmation, your favourite Harry Potter house, or the flag of the country where you were born. Blue and white confetti streaming down the photos can help bring a bit of Scotland – or Chelsea FC, if that’s more your speed – to a beautiful English dale, Jersey beach, or gorgeous civic building.

There are many websites selling biodegradable petals from flowers grown in the UK. They are eco-friendly, dye-free, natural and very pretty! Check out the choices available from flowerconfetti.uk, Confetti Direct, and Shropshire Petals.

A humanist ceremony can also help you to tell a story about a meeting of cultures or perspectives. That’s what a love story is all about, isn’t it? From the outfits you wear on the day to the readings of your family and friends read out, a humanist wedding is here to tell a story about you, your love, and the joy you feel in coming together as partners for life.

Imagine it now: your picture-perfect wedding. Every photo bursting with colour and personal touches that show the thought and care you have your relationship and the life together you are about to embark on.

Confetti is just one of the tools you can use to make that perfect wedding come to life, along with words, music, and a focus on you as individuals. Your wedding day begins as a blank canvas – think of your humanist celebrant as someone to help you bring your vision to life.

How to have an intimate outdoor wedding at home

With local Covid-19 restrictions coming into force at different times in different places, many couples are trying to future-proof their wedding plans as much as they can by opting for a small, intimate, outdoor wedding which adheres to social distancing rules — and the easiest way to do this is to have a humanist wedding at home in the garden.

Humanist wedding celebrant Caroline Lambie and bride Amie Beverley share their top tips for having an amazing outdoor wedding ceremony at home and how to make it a wonderful event to remember.

Caroline says:

‘An intimate wedding ceremony can feel more meaningful and special than a big event. A lot of the ceremonies I’ve conducted in the past have been small, intimate ceremonies.

‘When you only invite the very closest people to you and it is a small space, the atmosphere can be electric. Also, your closest friends and family can really become a part of the ceremony rather than merely observers. It feels so good and everyone is so emotionally involved.’

1. Choose a humanist ceremony

‘What’s not to like?’ asks Amie. ‘Having an outdoor wedding and getting married in the garden with a humanist ceremony gave us the chance to really personalise every single detail – there were no rules to follow, no specific wording we needed to use, and we could decide the order in which things were done. The ceremony was so ‘us’ and we all thought it was so brilliant.’

In England and Wales, where humanist marriages are not yet legally recognised, there is no need to hold your ceremony at a licensed venue, which means you can have the wedding in your own back garden! Couples can register a marriage at the register office before or after your humanist wedding in order to make it legal but still have the kind of personalised humanist ceremony they really want.

In Northern Ireland and Jersey, humanist marriages conducted by Humanist Ceremonies celebrants are legally recognised, as are humanist ceremonies in Scotland. They can be held anywhere and do not have to take place in licensed premises.

2. Decorations

Making an outside space or marquee feel intimate and special for your wedding can be fun. Amie says, ‘Think about items you have at home and how you might repurpose them to decorate your outside space. You don’t need to buy specific wedding decorations: we used things that we already had such as fairy lights, Christmas decorations, vases, and mirrors.’

How about having your outdoor wedding ceremony under a tree? It looks great, offers protection from the elements, and you can hang bunting from it — or drape pretty fabric from branches or a wedding arch.

2. Seating

You don’t have to opt for expensive hired chairs for your guests; picnic blankets, cushions, pouffes, or hay bales can work just as well — although older or less mobile guests might appreciate a chair, so it’s always worth having a few on standby.

3. Have an all-weather plan

Make sure you’ve prepared an all-weather plan ready to be put into action. You could consider putting up a gazebo or hiring a marquee or tepee just in case.

Amie says, ‘Although we were lucky with the weather, we did make sure we made plans on what to do if it was wet, cold, windy, or if there was a heatwave on the day.’

4. Symbolic gestures

There are many symbolic gestures that can be incorporated into a humanist wedding ceremony and, as the betrothed won’t need to socially distance from one another, this type of ritual should still be allowed whenever the ceremony is held.

A popular symbolic act is ‘sharing a Quaich’ – a two-handled loving cup. Two different liquids can be blended to symbolise the blending of the two of you. As this is a Scottish tradition, unsurprisingly, whisky and water is traditional but it can be gin and tonic, a cocktail, or even a blended tea.

Another symbolic gesture you can incorporate into a ceremony is lighting a unity candle. You each have a candle that represents you as an individual and you light a third candle which represents your life together going into the future.

Ordinarily, family members can be involved in symbolic acts such as a handfasting, but when social distancing measures are in place, these won’t be possible. Your humanist wedding celebrant will be able to advise what the latest guidelines permit.

5. Into the evening

As the light begins to fade, you’ll need some illumination. Amie says, ‘A thrifty, yet pretty option is to use jam jars with night light candles inside (they don’t have to be real ones, the battery-operated candles look just as pretty and are longer-lasting).’

WEDDING ETIQUETTE

Is your calendar full with friends and family weddings? Maybe you are about to attend your first wedding. Do you know what to expect? Do you know about wedding etiquette? It can be daunting to attend these occasions and remember all the etiquettes and rules that come with them.

Whether it’s about who you can invite as your plus-one or forgetting to turn your phone on silent before the ceremony, there are a few things you might want to consider before heading into wedding season. Here are four Wedding Etiquettes that are highly relevant to weddings today.

STICK TO THE DRESS CODE

Some weddings might be relaxed. Some might be ultra-smart. Some may even be themed, so it’s important to choose an outfit that fits this particular occasion. If you’re not sure, a dress, skirt, or suit will probably hit the mark in terms of smartness. But, whatever you do, don’t wear white unless the bride requested it. Upstaging the bride is a wedding calamity and you don’t want that hanging your head for years to come. Stay away from the light ivories too!

Whatever the dress code or theme, a sophisticated dress will look great every time and make you look a million dollars without stealing the spotlight away from the bride.

REMEMBER TO RSVP

Weddings take months, even years of planning, so make it easier for the happy couple by RSVPing as soon as you know whether or not you can attend. They might want to use your invitation for someone else. They will also need to organise logistical details, like how many chairs or dinner servings they’ll need.

Whilst you’re RSVPing, make sure to read the plus one rule. It’s normally stated clearly on the invitation, but if you’re unsure ALWAYS contact the bride and groom!

MUTE YOUR PHONE

You don’t want to be the person whose ring tone interrupted the bride and groom’s first kiss. It’s not something you can ever come back from. Eliminate the risk and turn off your phone before the ceremony.

DON’T POST PHOTOS UNTIL YOU HAVE THE GO-AHEAD

We all want to snap the most memorable moments of the wedding, but sometimes our desperation to get the perfect shot can ruin other peoples’ experiences. Avoid falling into the aisle when snapping the first look of the beautiful bride. Don’t follow the photographer around and don’t ask for too many poses from the newlyweds – they have enough to think about.

Instead, try and capture candid, intimate, and silly moments. If you know the couple well, you might be able to snap some unflattering shots that are full of personality. Experiment with selfies, and angles, and don’t take yourself seriously.

WEDDING CAKES

Cakes by Lottie McPhees, specialise in bespoke wedding cakes and celebration cakes. Owned and run by Lorraine Wiley-Kaunispaik, Lorraine has been in the wedding cake business for more than 15 years. Starting out from her dainty coffee shop in Gosforth where the name ‘Lottie McPhees’ was created.

The Name

The name came about when her husband Paul had a play around with some names within the family and so ‘Lottie’ came from her youngest daughter Charlotte, the ‘Mc’ came from her mums maiden name McLaughlin and then ‘Phee’ came from her eldest Pheobe…as so Lottie McPhees was created.

Location

Based in Cramlington, Northumberland Lorraine specialises in luxury bespoke wedding cakes designed to suit her clients themes and colour. All Lorraines consultations work around her clients busy schedules and her cake samples are sent through the post once a month.

The Cakes

Every cake is handmade within Lorraine’s little garden bakery. Specialising in luxury bespoke naked, semi-naked, buttercream and fondant wedding cakes all her cakes are homemade sponge cakes. Each creation is also delivered to your venue and set up so you have no concerns about transporting your masterpiece! Here Lorraine talks about her designs.

‘For me, this seasons most popular designs have been buttercream, semi naked with amazing fresh flowers. It is my favourite combination for wedding cakes! I love working with couples to add own unique touches such as cake toppers, colour combinations or the addition of macaroons or a dessert bar. But the most important part remains the flavours that my clients want to serve their guests. Above all my clients want their wedding cake to taste amazing.

My most popular wedding cake flavours are Raspberry & White Chocolate, Strawberry & Prosecco and Toffee Caramel and Classic Victoria Sponge. If you can be more daring I can also recommend Pistachio & Rose Water, Pink Gin & Lemonade or Espresso & Baileys!

One venue on the doorstep of Cake by Lottie McPhees is Horton Grange Country House. This beauty was created for Sarah and Michael who had their wedding day at Horton Grange in May 2022. It featured classic buttercream Victoria Sponge with fresh flowers.

MUSIC FOR YOUR WEDDING

Choosing music for your wedding is so important. It helps set the mood of your day and can make or break your evening party. Here are 5 tips to guide you through the process from music expert Nicola Holliday from Live Music North Ltd.

ONE

Get your venue booked before the band! If you are a muso it’s likely you already have a good idea of what music or entertainment you want at your wedding. You may already have had your fave act picked out for months! (If you have no idea or you are somewhere in between that’s ok too !) It’s crucial you have your venue booked first as there are some really key points a band needs to know. Space and power availability, inside or outside, any sound / volume limitations. You may have your heart set on a 7 piece funk soul band but if you book a hotel in a residential area with an 80db sound limiter it simply isn’t going to work and end in disappointment and faff!

TWO

Visualise, imagine the flow of your day. How do you want the day to feel? How do you want your guests to feel at different points in the day? We’ve all been at weddings that seem to drag on for all eternity with lots of awkward milling about, not knowing what’s going on or what to do. This will tell you where you might need some entertainment for your guests. If you are unsure what to have, get yourself to a few wedding fairs and see what’s out there. Chat to suppliers about options and then contact the ones that tickle your fancy for a chat about the possibilities. A great supplier is one that guides you through multiple options and how they could collaborate with others too.

THREE

Meet the act. This goes hand in hand with my next point too. As a business owner I LOVE having a good old chinwag with my clients. Getting to know them, what they envisage for their day – regardless of the stage they’re at in planning and booking. This could be in person or over zoom and gives you a chance to get a vibe for each other. Are you on the same wave length? Do you trust this person with entertaining your guests to the highest possible standards? Are they warm, friendly and professional from the word go? Trust your gut on this one, it will pay off.

FOUR

See and hear your act perform live! This sounds obvious but you’d be amazed how many don’t. Now they may not have a public gig as such you can go to, but ask if they have live videos or are showcasing at any exhibitions or wedding fairs. How did you feel when you watched them? Where is this music going to occur in your day? Was it fun? Did they work the crowd? Did they create the perfect ambience or did they nail that perfect ‘entrance’ song? Do they live up to the spiel on their socials and website? The proof is in the pudding….. or the performance in this case!

FIVE

Paperwork! The boring but really blooming important bit!

Make sure you have a contract, not just emails, a formal contract detailing the exact level of service you have discussed and make sure you have read it inside out! Ask questions and be 100% comfortable you can fulfil the terms of that contract as a client too. Most suppliers are happy to work directly with venues to take the stress off the couple but it’s your responsibility as a client to make sure that it’s possible to fulfil before signing. An experienced band will provide all the necessary info as part of the contract or rider. Believe me…turning up to a venue as a 6 piece band and realising you only have a 3×3 meter space to set up and play in makes for a very tight squeeze! The very expensive band you have booked and paid for just won’t be able to play to the best of their ability.

A few last words….

Get in there and book! Don’t faff about! If you have your venue and you’ve found a great supplier that feels right and you’d love to work with, get that deposit paid and lock ‘em in!

Traditionally you could book a band at around the 9 month mark but as most suppliers will tell you we are booking dates now that are 2 to 3 years ahead.