The Mohs Hardness Scale And Chart For Select Gems

Home » Learning Center » Gemology » Reference Charts & Materials » The Mohs Hardness Scale and Chart for Select Gems

IGS may receive customer referral fees from the companies listed in this page. Learn more.

Mohs hardness scale and comparison to common items. Image by the National Park Service. Public Domain.

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