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

Colorful gemstones showing different gemstone shapes and cuts
Gemstone Guide

Mohs Hardness Scale for Gemstones

The Mohs Hardness Scale is one of the easiest ways to understand how resistant a gemstone is to scratching. If you are shopping for gemstone jewelry, this scale can help you understand which stones are better suited for everyday wear and which stones may need a little extra care.

Many people know diamonds are very hard, but there are many other beautiful gemstones used in jewelry that also offer excellent durability, including sapphire, ruby, spinel, topaz, aquamarine, amethyst, citrine, quartz, and garnet.

Why Gemstone Hardness Matters

When choosing gemstone jewelry, hardness matters because it helps explain how easily a gemstone may scratch during normal wear. A higher Mohs rating means the gemstone is generally more resistant to scratches from everyday contact.

Hardness is especially important for rings and bracelets because those pieces usually receive more contact with surfaces. Earrings and necklaces often experience less impact, which means a wider variety of gemstones can be enjoyed with proper care.

  • 8–10 Mohs: Excellent scratch resistance for everyday jewelry.
  • 7–8 Mohs: Durable and commonly used in fine jewelry.
  • 6–7 Mohs: Beautiful for jewelry, but best worn with some extra care.
  • Below 6 Mohs: Better suited for occasional wear or protected jewelry designs.

Mohs Hardness Scale

The chart below is a helpful reference for comparing gemstone hardness ratings side by side.

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
Colorful tourmaline gemstones in a variety of colors

While the Mohs Hardness Scale chart above includes many minerals and gemstones, most jewelry shoppers are usually comparing a smaller group of popular gemstones used in rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.

  • Diamond: 10
  • Sapphire & Ruby: 9
  • Spinel & Topaz: 8
  • Aquamarine & Emerald: 7.5–8
  • Amethyst, Citrine & Quartz: 7
  • Garnet: 6.5–7.5
  • Peridot & Tanzanite: 6.5–7
  • Opal: 5.5–6.5

Most gemstones used in fine jewelry fall between 6.5 and 9 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. Hardness is helpful to understand, but it is not the only factor in durability. Cut quality, setting style, and how often a piece is worn also matter.