The Mohs Hardness Scale and Chart for Select Gems
The Mohs hardness scale measures a mineral's resistance to scratching. Find the traditional scale here and a chart of select gems ordered by hardness.
3 Minute Read
IGS may receive customer referral fees from the companies listed in this page.
Why?The Mohs Hardness Scale
10 | Diamond |
9 | Corundum |
8 | Topaz |
7 | Quartz |
6 | Feldspar |
5 | Apatite |
4 | Fluorite |
3 | Calcite |
2 | Gypsum |
1 | Talc |
Select Gems Ordered By Mohs Hardness
Name | Hardness | Name | Hardness |
Diamond | 10 | Hypersthene | 5 - 6 |
Synth. Moissanit | 9½ | Ilmenite | 5 - 6 |
Ruby | 9 | Lapis Lazuli | 5 - 6 |
Sapphire | 9 | Lazulite | 5 - 6 |
Alexandrite | 8½ | Nepheline | 5 - 6 |
Chrysoberyll | 8½ | Neptunite | 5 - 6 |
Holtite | 8½ | Pargasite | 5 - 6 |
YAG | 8½ | Richterite | 5 - 6 |
Zirconia | 8½ | Samarskite | 5 - 6 |
Rhodizite | 8 - 8½ | Stibiotantalite | 5 - 6 |
Taafeite | 8 - 8½ | Tremolite | 5 - 6 |
Spinel | 8 | Turquoise | 5 - 6 |
Topaz | 8 | Analcime | 5 - 5½ |
Aquamarine | 7½ - 8 | Datolite | 5 - 5½ |
Red Beryl | 7½ - 8 | Durangite | 5 - 5½ |
Precious Beryl | 7½ - 8 | Eudialyte | 5 - 5½ |
Gahnite | 7½ - 8 | Goethite | 5 - 5½ |
Galaxite | 7½ - 8 | Herderite | 5 - 5½ |
Painite | 7½ - 8 | Hydroxylherderite | 5 - 5½ |
Phenakite | 7½ - 8 | Meliphanite | 5 - 5½ |
Emerald | 7½ - 8 | Mesolite | 5 - 5½ |
Andalusite | 7½ | Microlite | 5 - 5½ |
Euclase | 7½ | Monazite | 5 - 5½ |
Hambergite | 7½ | Natrolite | 5 - 5½ |
Sapphirine | 7½ | Nickeline | 5 - 5½ |
Dumortierite | 7 - 8½ | Papagoite | 5 - 5½ |
Almandine | 7 - 7½ | Psilomelane | 5 - 5½ |
Boracite | 7 - 7½ | Scolecite | 5 - 5½ |
Cordierite | 7 - 7½ | Sellaite | 5 - 5½ |
Danburite | 7 - 7½ | Thomsonite | 5 - 5½ |
Grandidierite | 7 - 7½ | Titanite | 5 - 5½ |
Pyrope | 7 - 7½ | Wolframite | 5 - 5½ |
Schorlomite | 7 - 7½ | Yttrotantalite | 5 - 5½ |
Sekaninaite | 7 - 7½ | Apatite | 5 |
Simpsonite | 7 - 7½ | Bismutotantalite | 5 |
Spessartine | 7 - 7½ | Childrenite | 5 |
Staurolite | 7 - 7½ | Chlorapatite | 5 |
Turmaline | 7 - 7½ | Dioptase | 5 |
Uvarovite | 7 - 7½ | Eosphorite | 5 |
Amethyst | 7 | Flourapatite | 5 |
Aventurine | 7 | Hemimorphite | 5 |
Rock Crystal | 7 | Hydroxylapatite | 5 |
Chambersite | 7 | Mangan-Apatite | 5 |
Chromdravite | 7 | Odontolite | 5 |
Citrine | 7 | Rinkite | 5 |
Forsterite | 7 | Schlossmacherite | 5 |
Povondraite | 7 | Smithsonite | 5 |
Quartz | 7 | Spurrite | 5 |
Smoky Quartz | 7 | Strass | 5 |
Zunyite | 7 | Vayrynenite | 5 |
Garnet | 6½ - 7½ | Ekanite | 4½ - 6½ |
Jeremejevite | 6½ - 7½ | Apophyllite | 4½ - 5 |
Sillimanite | 6½ - 7½ | Augelite | 4½ - 5 |
Zircon | 6½ - 7½ | Charoite | 4½ - 5 |
Axinite | 6½ - 7 | Gaspéite | 4½ - 5 |
Chalcedony | 6½ - 7 | Hodgkinsonite | 4½ - 5 |
Chrysoprase | 6½ - 7 | Legrandite | 4½ - 5 |
Diaspore | 6½ - 7 | Pectolite | 4½ - 5 |
Ferro-Axinite | 6½ - 7 | Scheelite | 4½ - 5 |
Gadolinite | 6½ - 7 | Wardite | 4½ - 5 |
Grossular | 6½ - 7 | Wollastonite | 4½ - 5 |
Hiddenite | 6½ - 7 | Bayldonite | 4½ |
Jadeite | 6½ - 7 | Colemanite | 4½ |
Jasper | 6½ - 7 | Parisite | 4½ |
Kornerupine | 6½ - 7 | Prosopite | 4½ |
Kunzite | 6½ - 7 | Yugawaralite | 4½ |
Mangan-Axinite | 6½ - 7 | Kyanite | 4 - 7 |
Peridot | 6½ - 7 | Sérandite | 4 - 5½ |
Pollucite | 6½ - 7 | Chabazite | 4 - 5 |
Serendibite | 6½ - 7 | Friedelite | 4 - 5 |
Sinhalite | 6½ - 7 | Lithiophilite | 4 - 5 |
Spodumene | 6½ - 7 | Mordenite | 4 - 5 |
Tanzanite | 6½ - 7 | Triphylite | 4 - 5 |
Thorianite | 6½ - 7 | Variscite | 4 - 5 |
Tinzenite | 6½ - 7 | Zincite | 4 - 5 |
GGG | 6½ | Carletonite | 4 - 4½ |
Magnesio-Axinite | 6½ | Hübnerite | 4 - 4½ |
Nambulite | 6½ | Purpurite | 4 - 4½ |
Vesuvianite | 6½ | Algodonite | 4 |
Cassiterite | 6 - 7 | Ammonite | 4 |
Clinozoisite | 6 - 7 | Barytocalcite | 4 |
Epidote | 6 - 7 | Flourite | 4 |
Hancockite | 6 - 7 | Leucophanite | 4 |
Pyrolusite | 6 - 7 | Libethenite | 4 |
Sogdianite | 6 - 7 | Rhodochrosite | 4 |
Amazonite | 6 - 6½ | Magnesite | 3½ - 4½ |
Andesine | 6 - 6½ | Siderite | 3½ - 4½ |
Anorthoclase | 6 - 6½ | Ankerite | 3½ - 4 |
Benitoite | 6 - 6½ | Aragonite | 3½ - 4 |
Bixbyite | 6 - 6½ | Azurite | 3½ - 4 |
Bytownite | 6 - 6½ | Chalcopyrite | 3½ - 4 |
Chondroite | 6 - 6½ | Creedite | 3½ - 4 |
Helvite | 6 - 6½ | Cuprite | 3½ - 4 |
Hyalophane | 6 - 6½ | Dickinsonite | 3½ - 4 |
Labradorite | 6 - 6½ | Dolomite | 3½ - 4 |
Marcasite | 6 - 6½ | Euchroite | 3½ - 4 |
Microcline | 6 - 6½ | Langbeinite | 3½ - 4 |
Nephrite | 6 - 6½ | Malachite | 3½ - 4 |
Norbergite | 6 - 6½ | Mimetite | 3½ - 4 |
Oligoclase | 6 - 6½ | Pentlandite | 3½ - 4 |
Petalite | 6 - 6½ | Powellite | 3½ - 4 |
Prehnite | 6 - 6½ | Scorodite | 3½ - 4 |
Pyrite | 6 - 6½ | Shungite | 3½ - 4 |
Rutile | 6 - 6½ | Shattuckite | 3½ - 4 |
Sanidine | 6 - 6½ | Sphalerite | 3½ - 4 |
Smaragdite | 6 - 6½ | Wavellite | 3½ - 4 |
Sugilite | 6 - 6½ | Wurtzite | 3½ - 4 |
Tantalite | 6 - 6½ | Adamite | 3½ |
Xonotlite | 6 - 6½ | Anhydrite | 3½ |
Zoisite | 6 - 6½ | Chiolite | 3½ |
Aegirine | 6 | Huréaulite | 3½ |
Amblygonite | 6 | Strontianite | 3½ |
Clinohumite | 6 | Thaumasite | 3½ |
Humite | 6 | Weloganite | 3½ |
Hurlbutite | 6 | Cacoxenite | 3 -4 |
Lawsonite | 6 | Coral | 3 -4 |
Pumpellyite | 6 | Ludlamite | 3 -4 |
Tephroite | 6 | Anglesite | 3 - 3½ |
Vlasovite | 6 | Baryte | 3 - 3½ |
Zektzerite | 6 | Boleite | 3 - 3½ |
Hematite | 5½ - 6½ | Cerussite | 3 - 3½ |
Hedenbergite | 5½ - 6½ | Celestine | 3 - 3½ |
Magnetite | 5½ - 6½ | Descloizite | 3 - 3½ |
Manganotantalite | 5½ - 6½ | Greenockite | 3 - 3½ |
Opal | 5½ - 6½ | Howlite | 3 - 3½ |
Rhodonite | 5½ - 6½ | Millerite | 3 - 3½ |
Actinolite | 5½ - 6 | Phosphophyllite | 3 - 3½ |
Allanite | 5½ - 6 | Witherite | 3 - 3½ |
Anatase | 5½ - 6 | Bornite | 3 |
Beryllonite | 5½ - 6 | Calcite | 3 |
Brookite | 5½ - 6 | Kurnakovite | 3 |
Bustamite | 5½ - 6 | Shortite | 3 |
Canasite | 5½ - 6 | Wulfenite | 3 |
Cobaltite | 5½ - 6 | Serpentine | 2½ - 5½ |
Euxenite | 5½ - 6 | Pearl | 2½ - 4½ |
Fabulite | 5½ - 6 | Jet | 2½ - 4 |
Fergusonite | 5½ - 6 | Chalcocite | 2½ - 3 |
Haüyne | 5½ - 6 | Crocoite | 2½ - 3 |
Leucite | 5½ - 6 | Gaylussite | 2½ - 3 |
Marialite | 5½ - 6 | Gold | 2½ - 3 |
Meionite | 5½ - 6 | Inderite | 2½ - 3 |
Milarite | 5½ - 6 | Lepidolite | 2½ - 3 |
Montebrasite | 5½ - 6 | Pyrargyrite | 2½ - 3 |
Natromontebrasite | 5½ - 6 | Silver | 2½ - 3 |
Periclase | 5½ - 6 | Stolzite | 2½ - 3 |
Pyroxmangite | 5½ - 6 | Vanadinite | 2½ - 3 |
Sarcolite | 5½ - 6 | Whewellite | 2½ - 3 |
Scorzalite | 5½ - 6 | Brucite | 2½ |
Scapolite | 5½ - 6 | Cryolite | 2½ |
Sodalite | 5½ - 6 | Linarite | 2½ |
Tugtupite | 5½ - 6 | Lizardite | 2½ |
Brazilianite | 5½ | Proustite | 2½ |
Breithauptite | 5½ | Sturmanite | 2½ |
Chromite | 5½ | Chrysocolla | 2 - 4 |
Enstatite | 5½ | Clinochrysotile | 2 -3 |
Linobate | 5½ | Fuchsite | 2 -3 |
Magnesiochromite | 5½ | Muscovite | 2 -3 |
Moldavite | 5½ | Phosgenite | 2 -3 |
Willemite | 5½ | Shomiokite | 2 -3 |
Aeschynite | 5 - 6 | Amber | 2 - 2½ |
Bronzite | 5 - 6 | Cinnabar | 2 - 2½ |
Cancrinite | 5 - 6 | Ettringite | 2 - 2½ |
Catapleiite | 5 - 6 | Kämmererite | 2 - 2½ |
Ceruléite | 5 - 6 | Mellite | 2 - 2½ |
Clinoenstatite | 5 - 6 | Senarmontite | 2 - 2½ |
Davidite | 5 - 6 | Ulexite | 2 - 2½ |
Diopside | 5 - 6 | Villiaumite | 2 - 2½ |
Ferrosilite | 5 - 6 | Gypsum | 2 |
Hornblende | 5 - 6 | Stichtite | 1½ - 2½ |
Sulphur | 1½ - 2½ | ||
Covellite | 1½ - 2 | ||
Melonite | 1½ - 2 | ||
Realgar | 1½ - 2 | ||
Vivianite | 1½ - 2 | ||
Palygorskite | 1 - 2 | ||
Pyrophyllite | 1 - 2 | ||
Talc | 1 |
Source: Gemstones of the World, 3rd Edition, Walter Schumann.
International Gem Society
Related Articles
Ring Size Comparison Chart
Ring Size Comparison Chart compliments of the International Gem Society. A conversion table of Ring sizes. 7 different ring size...
Read More
Specific Gravity Values of Selected Gems
Measuring specific gravity helps gemologists identify gemstones. The following table lists the specific gravity values for a variety of gem...
Read More
Birthstone Chart
What are the birthstones by month? January is garnet, February is amethyst, March is aquamarine, April is diamond, May is...
Read More
Properties of Diamond Simulants
Diamond simulants, like cubic zirconia and moissanite, often appear in jewelry. See how the properties of real diamonds compare with...
Read More
Latest Articles
Why are Topaz and Citrine Gemstones Misidentified?
Learn why citrine gemstones are sometimes misidentified as topaz. A professional appraisal by an independent gem lab is the best...
Read More
Identifying Garnets Simplified
Identifying garnets by species is complicated. Learn how to use refractive index, hue, and absorption spectrum readings to simply the...
Read More
Staurolite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
Staurolite crystals in opaque cross shapes are popular gemstones. However, this material is very rarely transparent or facetable. These dark...
Read More
Amethyst Buying Guide
Long valued for its purple color and symbolic associations, amethyst is a versatile gem. Our amethyst buying guide can help...
Read More
Never Stop Learning
When you join the IGS community, you get trusted diamond & gemstone information when you need it.
Get Gemology Insights
Get started with the International Gem Society’s free guide to gemstone identification. Join our weekly newsletter & get a free copy of the Gem ID Checklist!