Mohs hardness scale - tools

A gemstone’s Mohs hardness score measures its resistance to scratching. This quality is an important factor for determining a gem’s wearability or toughness as a jewelry stone. “Tools to measure hardness of minerals, using minerals of Mohs scale of hardness,” by Hannes Grobe is licensed under CC By 3.0.

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.

Mohs hardness scale - Friedrich Mohs

“Friedrich Mohs” (1773-1839), creator of the Mohs hardness scale. Lithograph by Josef Kriehuber, 1832. The Peter Geymayer Collection. Public Domain.