Ika van Wyk from stellamoissanite explains to us why it may not be necessary to buy a diamond anymore.

With her business Stella Moissanite, Ika explains that you can have the stone and jewellery piece of your dreams at 50 to 90% less than a diamond. Not only are moissanites good for your pocket, they are also ecologically friendly and much more sustainable than diamonds, which are mined in ways that cause harm to the environment. Moissanite gemstones are created in laboratories where there is no harm to human or earth.

Moissanites are not used by warlords or a black market to fund wars and crimes against humanity. You’ll have no blood on your hands when you buy a Stella moissanite ring, bracelet, necklace or earring- and no person has suffered to get that stone on your finger.

So what is a Moissananite stone? No, moissanites are not diamonds, “fake diamonds” or diamond replicants. Moissanites are unique gemstones in their own right. Diamonds are composed of carbon (C) and moissanites are composed of silicon carbide (SiC).

A diamond simulant or imitation diamond has gemological characteristics similar to a diamond, such as appearance, but have a different chemical structure from real diamonds and are not diamonds, nor are they passed off as being diamonds. They are alternatives to diamonds and should not be confused with synthetic or “lab” diamonds, which are actual diamonds with the same material properties as natural diamonds

Originally discovered in 1893 by the French chemist and Nobel prize winner Henri Moissan, Moissanite is a rare mineral called silicon carbide. Moissan was examining rock samples from a meteor crater in Canyon Diablo, Arizona, when he found the brilliant rocks which he first confused with diamonds.

In its natural form, moissanite is extremely rare and found in insufficient quantities to mine and use in jewellery or industrial applications.

Today moissanites are grown in laboratories to successfully imitate their natural state.

Unlike diamonds and most other precious gems, moissanites are not mined from the depths of the earth or rivers or the seabed. They are made in highly specialised laboratories using innovative technology that delivers the quality, consistency and near-flawless gemstones used in all Stella jewellery.

We asked Ika how she started Stella Moissante and more:

Ika, how did you become involved in the jewellery business?

It’s probably a somewhat familiar story to many other South Africans struggling with job security in recent years. After a rough couple of years of retrenchments and the loss of my dad, I was reconsidering what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I wasn’t enjoying working in marketing for industries where customers hated the products we were selling - and wanted a change in pace, lifestyle and career.

With my background in digital marketing, I was always noticing gorgeous jewellery on social media. I did my research and learnt about an amazing gemstone called moissanite. I initially thought that I’d start importing moissanite to supply the local jewellery trade, but there didn’t seem to be much demand or consumer awareness of it yet. So I decided to create the demand myself and rather launch a consumer brand specialising in moissanite fine jewellery.

I wanted more flexibility, more creativity in my daily work and to sell a product people were excited about. Now I work 24/7 but I love dealing with happy and excited people every day on a product I really believe in.

Are you involved in the design of the items?

Absolutely, that is one of the best parts of owning a fine jewellery business.

I design a growing range of timeless, ready to order rings which can be ordered directly from my online store www.stellamoissanite.com . I’m also the person you deal with for all custom jewellery needs.

I work with talented CAD designers who take my designs from paper to 3D for my customers before manufacturing starts.

What do you think the trends are for this year?

Rings with three-stone settings will become more popular for the next few years, especially with women who like bold designs. These settings work well with a lot of gemstone shapes - think rounds, ovals, radiants with accent stones in interesting shapes such as trapeziums, half moons and tapered baguettes.

Coloured gems as alternatives to white gems in engagement rings are enjoying a moment too, especially yellow and green tone gems.

Bold, angular gem shapes such as Asscher cuts, radiant and emerald cuts will be making a big comeback because it reminds us of jewellery from a time gone by. We update these by setting these statement gems in modern, clean settings that don’t detract from the gemstone.

Super skinny bands in solitaire rings continue to be popular amongst younger buyers, most notably made famous by brands like Ring Concierge from NYC who are very popular on social media.

Gender non-specific jewellery. People will wear the pieces that bring them joy, with little consideration for what the old rules dictated about which pieces are meant for a gender specifically. More men are wearing engagement-style rings on their pinky fingers and women are choosing chunky signet rings in their ring stacks.

What is your professional background?

I’d been working in the digital marketing and consulting side of telecommunications and financial services for over a decade before making the switch to jewellery and eCommerce. My work in insurance is partly to thank for the reason I went into jewellery, as I saw first hand how young people would overextend themselves financially in order to buy diamond engagement rings they couldn’t really afford.

What is your favourite materials to work with in jewellery?

Moissanite, for sure. It is a lab created, carbon based gemstone and has very similar properties to diamonds. Unlike many other gemstones, it is very hard (second only to diamond), durable and will keep its colour and clarity forever. It has even more brilliance than diamonds and refracts light more. It’s versatile, stunningly beautiful and perfectly priced for the local market.

Tell us about Stella Moissanite?

I started Stella Moissanite because there is a huge gap in the local market for good quality, locally made fine jewellery under R30 000. Moissanites are more affordable than diamonds but still of the highest possible quality. It is the perfect alternative if you like the aesthetics of diamond jewellery but you don’t want the guilt or price tag that comes with it. A 1ct diamond ring can cost upwards of R100 000 whereas the exact same ring can be closer to R10 000 if you simply switch the diamond out for a moissanite.

When I launched in January 2020 I was the first and only moissanite fine jewellery company to embrace a fully digital business model without any high street brick and mortar retail stores. I have an online store with ready to order ranges and I do 99% of our customer consultations through WhatsApp chat, Instagram DMs and video calls with great success. The changes in online buying consumer behaviour that resulted from Covid-19 have accelerated the business.

Stella Moissanite is a new age fine jewellery company and is built on the principles of offering affordable luxury and an excellent customer experience to jewellery buyers in South Africa. All my rings are made in South Africa by a team of phenomenal local artisan goldsmiths and gem setters with over 50 years of experience between them. We have amazing local talent here and are recognised internationally for the quality of our work. It’s important to me that we invest in this talent, so I do not sell ready made rings from other countries.

What would you suggest as a great gift at a good price for Valentine’s Day? Let’s help the guys with some great ideas?

Stud earrings, always. Every woman dreams of owning a pair of stud earrings. You can’t go wrong with these because they can go from the gym to the office to the restaurant and still be the perfect accessory. I hardly ever take mine off.

Our 0.5ct moissanite studs set in 9ct gold retail at R7895, compared to R50 000 and up for diamond studs of a similar size. Together the pair has a 1ct total weight and is the perfect size and price point for a gift.