Ever heard of moissanite?

I hadn't until I got an email about it.

In short, it's a man-made mineral that's touted as having more fire and brilliance than a diamond.

Best of all? It's less expensive!

Charles & Colvard, the company that creates moissanite, sent me a solitaire necklace so that I could check out what's called "The Most Brilliant Jewel in the World" for myself.

Check out my thoughts -- and see the revealing photos -- after the jump.

Here I am in my moissanite solitaire. I'm looking so freaking sincere here that I make myself sick.

Ahhh, that's better. A Fashion Blogger Pose. Obviously, I can't capture the brilliance of the moissanite with my amateurish camera, but you can see how much it sparkles even in a bathroom mirror pic.

As the proud owner of a diamond or two, I can attest that the moissanite is indeed sparklier. But not in a weird way. Worn in stud earrings or in a simple necklace like this one, I'm sure people would simply assume it's a diamond -- and a very nice diamond at that.

Fun facts about moissanite:

• It's not a diamond simulant; it's an actual jewel. It has to be man-made because natural moissanite minerals are incredibly rare.
• Moissanite is named after French Nobel Prize winner Dr. Henri Moissan, who discovered the jewel in 1893.
• Moissanite is made through a patented thermal growing process. According to Charles & Colvard, it's very difficult and expensive, so moissanite cannot be mass manufactured.
• Moissanite is durable, tough, and extremely resistant to scratches. It's not as hard as a diamond, but it is harder than all other gemstones.

Moissanite isn't cheap (jewelry prices on Moissanite.com range from $150 to several thousand dollars) since it's produced in limited quantities and each stone is hand-cut, but you'll definitely get more bang for your buck with moissanite than you would buying a diamond. I have to admit that if my husband had proposed marriage with a moissanite ring, I wouldn't be pleased -- but I wouldn't mind receiving moissanite jewelry as a gift, or even making a gift of moissanite to myself. If you're looking to add to your fine jewelry collection and you don't have a whole lot of cash, this might be the perfect alternative for you ...

Check out all kinds of moissanite jewelry options at Moissanite.com.

And there you have it, ladies. (And ... men?) A lesson in moissanite.

What do you think of moissanite? Would you buy moissanite jewelry?

Image via Moissanite.com