Understanding the Mohs Hardness Scale: Gemstone Durability from 1 to 10

The Mohs Hardness Scale, developed by Friedrich Mohs in 1812, is a key tool for evaluating gemstone durability. This scale ranks minerals on a scale from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest), helping jewelers and collectors understand how resistant a gemstone is to scratching and everyday wear. Whether you're choosing stones for custom jewelry or simply want to know how your gems will hold up, this guide breaks down the scale and explains what each level means for your precious gems.

Mohs Hardness Scale

GEMSTONE | CRYSTAL	MOHS HARDNESS SCALE
Diamond	10
Synthetic Moissanit	9.5
Ruby	9
Sapphire	9
Alexandrite	8.5
Chrysoberyll	8.5
Holtite	8.5
YAG	8.5
Zirconia	8.5
Rhodizite	8-8.5
Taafeite	8-8.5
Spinel	8
Topaz	8
Aquamarine	7.5-8
Red Beryl	7.5-8
Precious Beryl	7.5-8
Gahnite	7.5-8
Galaxite	7.5-8
Painite	7.5-8
Phenakite	7.5-8
Emerald	7.5-8
Andalusite	7.5
Euclase	7.5
Hambergite	7.5
Sapphirine	7.5
Dumortierite	7-8.5
Almandine	7-7.5
Boracite	7-7.5
Cordierite	7-7.5
Danburite	7-7.5
Grandidierite	7-7.5
Pyrope	7-7.5
Schorlomite	7-7.5
Sekaninaite	7-7.5
Simpsonite	7-7.5
Spessartine	7-7.5
Staurolite	7-7.5
Turmaline	7-7.5
Uvarovite	7-7.5
Amethyst	7
Aventurine	7
Rock Crystal	7
Chambersite	7
Chromdravite	7
Citrine	7
Forsterite	7
Povondraite	7
Quartz	7
Smokey Quartz	7
Zunyite	7
Garnet	6.5-7.5
Jeremejevite	6.5-7.5
Sillimanite	6.5-7.5
Zircon	6.5-7.5
Axinite	6.5-7
Chalcedony	6.5-7
Chrysoprase	6.5-7
Diaspore	6.5-7
Ferro-Axinite	6.5-7
Gadolinite	6.5-7
Grossular	6.5-7
Hiddenite	6.5-7
Jadeite	6.5-7
Jasper	6.5-7
Kornerupine	6.5-7
Kuzite	6.5-7
Magan-Axinite	6.5-7
Peridot	6.5-7
Pollucite	6.5-7
Serendibite	6.5-7
Sinhalite	6.5-7
Spodumene	6.5-7
Tanzanite	6.5-7
Thorianite	6.5-7
Tinzenite	6.5-7
Gadolinium Gallium Garnet - GGG	6.5
Magnesio-Axinite	6.5
Nambulite	6.5
Vesuvianite	6.5
Cassiterite	6-7
Clinozoisite	6-7
Epidote	6-7
Hancockite	6-7
Pyrolusite	6-7
Sogdianite	6-7
Amazonite	6-6.5
Andesine	6-6.5
Anorthoclase	6-6.5
Benitoite	6-6.5
Bixbyite	6-6.5
Bytownite	6-6.5
Chondroite	6-6.5
Helvite	6-6.5
Hyalophane	6-6.5
Labradorite	6-6.5
Marcasite	6-6.5
Microcline	6-6.5
Nephrite	6-6.5
Norbergite	6-6.5
Oligoclase	6-6.5
Petalite	6-6.5
Prehnite	6-6.5
Pyrite	6-6.5
Rutile	6-6.5
Sanidine	6-6.5
Smaragdite	6-6.5
Sugilite	6-6.5
Tantalite	6-6.5
Xonotlite	6-6.5
Zoisite	6-6.5
Aegirine	6
Amblygonite	6
Clinohumite	6
Humite	6
Hurlbutite	6
Lawsonite	6
Pumpellyite	6
Tephroite	6
Vlasovite	6
Zektzerite	6
Hematite	5.5-6.5
Hedenbergite	5.5-6.5
Magnetite	5.5-6.5
Manganotantalite	5.5-6.5
Opal	5.5-6.5
Rhodonite	5.5-6.5
Actinolite	5.5-6
Allanite	5.5-6
Anatase	5.5-6
Beryllonite	5.5-6
Brookite	5.5-6
Bustamite	5.5-6
Canasite	5.5-6
Cobaltite	5.5-6
Euxenite	5.5-6
Fabulite	5.5-6
Fergusonite	5.5-6
Hauyne	5.5-6
Leucite	5.5-6
Marialite	5.5-6
Meionite	5.5-6
Milartie	5.5-6
Montebrasite	5.5-6
Natromontebrasite	5.5-6
Periclase	5.5-6
Pyroxmangite	5.5-6
Sarcolite	5.5-6
Scorzalite	5.5-6
Scapolite	5.5-6
Sodalite	5.5-6
Tugtupite	5.5-6
Brazilianite	5.5
Breithauptite	5.5
Chromite	5.5
Enstatite	5.5
Linobate	5.5
Magnesiochromite	5.5
Madavite	5.5
Willemite	5.5
Aeschynite	5-6
Bronzite	5-6
Cancrinite	5-6
Catapleiite	5-6
Ceruléite	5-6
Clinoenstatite	5-6
Davidite	5-6
Diopside	5-6
Ferrosilite	5-6
Hornblende	5-6
Hypersthene	5-6
llmenite	5-6
Lapis Lazuli	5-6
Lazulite	5-6
Nepheline	5-6
Neptunite	5-6
Pargasite	5-6
Richterite	5-6
Samarskite	5-6
Stibiotantalite	5-6
Tremolite	5-6
Turquoise	5-6
Analcime	5-5.5
Datolite	5-5.5
Duranngite	5-5.5
Eudialyte	5-5.5
Goethite	5-5.5
Herderite	5-5.5
Hydroxylherderite	5-5.5
Meliphanite	5-5.5
Mesolite	5-5.5
Microlite	5-5.5
Monazite	5-5.5
Natrolite	5-5.5
Nickeline	5-5.5
Papagoite	5-5.5
Psilomelane	5-5.5
Scolecite	5-5.5
Sellaite	5-5.5
Thomsonite	5-5.5
Titanite	5-5.5
Wolframite	5-5.5
Yttrotantalite	5-5.5
Apatite	5
Bismutotantalite	5
Childrenite	5
Chlorapatite	5
Dioptase	5
Eosphorite	5
Fourapatite	5
Hemimorphite	5
Hydroxylapatite	5
Mangan-Apatite	5
Odontolite	5
Rinkite	5
Schlossmacherite	5
Smithsonite	5
Spurrite	5
Strass	5
Vayrynenite	5
Ekanite	4.5-6.5
Apophyllite	4.5-5
Augelite	4.5-5
Charoite	4.5-5
Gaspéite	4.5-5
Hodgkinsonite	4.5-5
Legrandite	4.5-5
Pectolite	4.5-5
Scheelite	4.5-5
Wardite	4.5-5
Wollastonite	4.5-5
Bayldonite	4.5
Colemanite	4.5
Parisite	4.5
Prosopite	4.5
Yugawaralite	4.5
Kyanite	4-7
Serandite	4-5.5
Chabazite	4-5
Friedelite	4-5
Lithiophilite	4-5
Mordenite	4-5
Triphylite	4-5
Variscite	4-5
Zincite	4-5
Carletonite	4-4.5
Hübnerite	4-4.5
Purpurite	4-4.5
Algodonite	4
Ammonite	4
Barytocalcite	4
Flourite	4
Leucophanite	4
Libethenite	4
Rhodochrosite	4
Magnesite	3.5-4.5
Siderite	3.5-4.5
Ankerite	3.5-4
Aragonite	3.5-4
Azurite	3.5-4
Chalcopyrite	3.5-4
Creedite	3.5-4
Cuprite	3.5-4
Dickinsonite	3.5-4
Dolomite	3.5-4
Euchroite	3.5-4
Langbeinite	3.5-4
Malachite	3.5-4
Mimetite	3.5-4
Pentlandite	3.5-4
Powellite	3.5-4
Scorodite	3.5-4
Shungite	3.5-4
Shattuckite	3.5-4
Sphalerite	3.5-4
Wavellite	3.5-4
Wurtzite	3.5-4
Adamite	3.5
Anhydrite	3.5
Chiolite	3.5
Hureaulite	3.5
Strontianite	3.5
Thaumasite	3.5
Weloganite	3.5
Cacoxenite	3.4
Coral	3-4
Ludlamite	3-4
Anglesite	3-3.5
Baryte	3-3.5
Boleite	3-3.5
Cerussite	3-3.5
Celestine	3-3.5
Descloizite	3-3.5
Greenokite	3-3.5
Howlite	3-3.5
Millerite	3-3.5
Phosphophyllite	3-3.5
Witherite	3-3.5
Bornite	3
Calcite	3
Kurnakovite	3
Shortite	3
Wulfenite	3
Serpentine	2.5-5.5
Pearl	2.5-4.5
Jet	2.5-4
Chalcocite	2.5-3
Brucite	2.5
Cryolite	2.5
Linarite	2.5
Lizardite	2.5
Proustite	2.5
Sturmanite	2.5
Chrysocolla	2-4
Clinochrysotile	2-3
Fuchsite	2-3
Muscovite	2-3
Phosgenite	2-3
Shomiokite	2-3
Amber	2-2.5
Cinnabar	2-2.5
Ettringite	2-2.5
Kammererite	2-2.5
Mellite	2-2.5
Senarmontite	2-2.5
Ulexite	2-2.5
Villiaumite	2-2.5
Gypsum	2
Stichtite	1.5-2.5
Sulphur	1.5-2.5
Covellite	1.5-2.5
Melonite	1.5-2.5
Realgar	1.5-2.5
Vivianite	1.5-2.5
Palygorskite	1-2
Pyrophyllite	1-2
Talc	1