Moissanite was first discovered in 1893 by a French chemist named Henri Moissan, who found it in a meteorite crater in Arizona. It is made up of silicon carbide, a compound that is extremely rare in nature but can be produced in a lab. Moissanite has a similar look and feel to diamonds, but there are some key differences. Moissanite is more affordable than diamonds, and it also has a higher refractive index, which means it can be more sparkly and brilliant in certain lighting conditions. However, moissanite is not as hard as a diamond, which means it is more likely to scratch or chip over time.