The mineral moissanite was unknown to the general public until gemstone-quality material was synthesized and marketed as a diamond simulant. It is known in many industries in the form of synthetic carborundum. Natural moissanite was discovered in 1893 by Dr. F. Henri Moissan. Dr. Moissan was also the first person to synthesize moissanite, so it was named for his honor in 1905. All moissanite used in the jewelry industry is lab created. Lab created moissanite is commonly colorless, but it does come in red, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, and pink. Lab created moissanite is extremely durable and has exceptional dispersion.
Mineral moissanite was discovered in 1893 by the man for whom it is named, Henri Moissan. At first, he thought the crystals were diamonds. He later came to know they were not. Those first crystals were discovered at Canyon Diablo, Arizona, in a meteorite. Until the 1950s, no other naturally occurring moissanite was found. It's extremely rare to this day, which is part of why lab-created stones are such a wonderful addition to our jewelry collections.