Artisan sterling silver ring with Moissanite - Ice Flower

Sturdy enough to wear every day, the flower is cut from thick sterling sheet and adorned with a 5mm moissanite in the center. I don't often use stones that are not naturally mined, but moissanite is very special! Be sure to read the info about the stone below, and if you have time, watch the video that I have provided a link for as well.

The ring band is made from comfortable 1/2 round wire in an 8g weight, not too heavy, and not too light - perfect for a ring meant to last a lifetime. This ring can be made in any size, including halfs, quarters and anything in between. Fit is guaranteed, and there is no charge for re-sizing if it is not perfectly comfortable when you try it on after receiving it.  Please select your ring size below when placing your order.  If you need a size that is not listed, select Custom Size from the list, and leave a message on the order form letting me know the size you need.

*******What is Moissanite?*******
The mineral moissanite was discovered by Henri Moissan while examining rock samples from a meteor crater located in Canyon Diablo, Arizona, in 1893. At first, he mistakenly identified the crystals as diamonds, but in 1904 he identified the crystals as silicon carbide. The mineral form of silicon carbide was named moissanite in honor of Moissan later on in his life. The discovery in the Canyon Diablo meteorite and other places was challenged for a long time as carborundum contamination from human abrasive tools.

Until the 1950s no other source, apart from meteorites, had been encountered. Later moissanite was found as inclusion in kimberlite from a diamond mine in Yakutia in 1959, and in the Green River Formation in Wyoming in 1958. The existence of moissanite in nature was questioned even in 1986 by Charles Milton, an American geologist.

Moissanite, in its natural form, is very rare. It has only been discovered in a small variety of places from upper mantle rock to meteorites. Discoveries have shown that moissanite occurs naturally as inclusions in diamonds, xenoliths, and ultramafic rocks such as kimberlite and lamproite. They have also been identified in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites as presolar grains.

Since 1998, when the company Charles and Colvard created a proprietary process to create moissanite in a lab, it has been regarded as an excellent diamond substitute, with optical properties and light refraction that actually exceed those of diamond.

Here is an excellent video that shows this gorgeous stone: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuxYtWys-Hc