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.
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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
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