These are faceted near-colorless moissanites. The rounds are from a closed jewelry shop and have a beautiful blue-white color. The larger ones have a very light golden color which is slightly visible in some contexts. A few also have small spots of green which add a splash of color.
This is moissanite, also known as silicon carbide. It is an excellent gem, with incredible hardness (around 9.25-9.5) and greater brilliance and fire than a diamond. It is perfect for use in all kinds of jewelry.
Though it is well known in the gem world it is also highly valued in the world of science and industry. It is a semiconductor just like pure silicon but far more durable and heat-resistant--the first production of high quality crystals was done by CREE for LEDS. Today it is widely used to make computer chips that need to endure high stress environments like in a car engine. Fortunately for us these uses require very exacting standards and sometimes crystals are rejected, producing material suitable for gem usage.
Though the gem world sometimes thinks of it only as a diamond stand-in I prefer to think of it as a gem all its own. It has greater luster, more brilliance and fire and a cooler range of colors than diamonds do and I just find it more appealing visually.
