Moissanite was Discovered in 1893 at Meteor Crater

Geology & Geo-Heritage
Written By Greg Schicker-Taubman
magnified moissanite mineral

USGS image of Moissanite under 14x magnification

Moissaninte, a silicon carbide mineral, was first discovered by Henri Moissan in 1893 in carbonacious chondrite rock samples at Meteor Crater! Naturally occurring, they are extremely rare, but synthetics are produced for semiconductors, abrasives, electronics and as gemstones.

Greg Schicker-Taubman
Previous

Asteroid Day at Meteor Crater and Lowell Observatory
Next

Meteorite Iron Was Used Before the Iron Age