The Mohs Hardness Scale And Chart For Select Gems

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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	9?	Ilmenite	5 – 6
Ruby	9	Lapis Lazuli	5 – 6
Sapphire	9	Lazulite	5 – 6
Alexandrite	8?	Nepheline	5 – 6
Chrysoberyll	8?	Neptunite	5 – 6
Holtite	8?	Pargasite	5 – 6
YAG	8?	Richterite	5 – 6
Zirconia	8?	Samarskite	5 – 6
Rhodizite	8 – 8?	Stibiotantalite	5 – 6
Taafeite	8 – 8?	Tremolite	5 – 6
Spinel	8	Turquoise	5 – 6
Topaz	8	Analcime	5 – 5?
Aquamarine	7? – 8	Datolite	5 – 5?
Red Beryl	7? – 8	Durangite	5 – 5?
Precious Beryl	7? – 8	Eudialyte	5 – 5?
Gahnite	7? – 8	Goethite	5 – 5?
Galaxite	7? – 8	Herderite	5 – 5?
Painite	7? – 8	Hydroxylherderite	5 – 5?
Phenakite	7? – 8	Meliphanite	5 – 5?
Emerald	7? – 8	Mesolite	5 – 5?
Andalusite	7?	Microlite	5 – 5?
Euclase	7?	Monazite	5 – 5?
Hambergite	7?	Natrolite	5 – 5?
Sapphirine	7?	Nickeline	5 – 5?
Dumortierite	7 – 8?	Papagoite	5 – 5?
Almandine	7 – 7?	Psilomelane	5 – 5?
Boracite	7 – 7?	Scolecite	5 – 5?
Cordierite	7 – 7?	Sellaite	5 – 5?
Danburite	7 – 7?	Thomsonite	5 – 5?
Grandidierite	7 – 7?	Titanite	5 – 5?
Pyrope	7 – 7?	Wolframite	5 – 5?
Schorlomite	7 – 7?	Yttrotantalite	5 – 5?
Sekaninaite	7 – 7?	Apatite	5
Simpsonite	7 – 7?	Bismutotantalite	5
Spessartine	7 – 7?	Childrenite	5
Staurolite	7 – 7?	Chlorapatite	5
Turmaline	7 – 7?	Dioptase	5
Uvarovite	7 – 7?	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	6? – 7?	Ekanite	4? – 6?
Jeremejevite	6? – 7?	Apophyllite	4? – 5
Sillimanite	6? – 7?	Augelite	4? – 5
Zircon	6? – 7?	Charoite	4? – 5
Axinite	6? – 7	Gaspéite	4? – 5
Chalcedony	6? – 7	Hodgkinsonite	4? – 5
Chrysoprase	6? – 7	Legrandite	4? – 5
Diaspore	6? – 7	Pectolite	4? – 5
Ferro-Axinite	6? – 7	Scheelite	4? – 5
Gadolinite	6? – 7	Wardite	4? – 5
Grossular	6? – 7	Wollastonite	4? – 5
Hiddenite	6? – 7	Bayldonite	4?
Jadeite	6? – 7	Colemanite	4?
Jasper	6? – 7	Parisite	4?
Kornerupine	6? – 7	Prosopite	4?
Kunzite	6? – 7	Yugawaralite	4?
Mangan-Axinite	6? – 7	Kyanite	4 – 7
Peridot	6? – 7	Sérandite	4 – 5?
Pollucite	6? – 7	Chabazite	4 – 5
Serendibite	6? – 7	Friedelite	4 – 5
Sinhalite	6? – 7	Lithiophilite	4 – 5
Spodumene	6? – 7	Mordenite	4 – 5
Tanzanite	6? – 7	Triphylite	4 – 5
Thorianite	6? – 7	Variscite	4 – 5
Tinzenite	6? – 7	Zincite	4 – 5
GGG	6?	Carletonite	4 – 4?
Magnesio-Axinite	6?	Hübnerite	4 – 4?
Nambulite	6?	Purpurite	4 – 4?
Vesuvianite	6?	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 – 6?	Magnesite	3? – 4?
Andesine	6 – 6?	Siderite	3? – 4?
Anorthoclase	6 – 6?	Ankerite	3? – 4
Benitoite	6 – 6?	Aragonite	3? – 4
Bixbyite	6 – 6?	Azurite	3? – 4
Bytownite	6 – 6?	Chalcopyrite	3? – 4
Chondroite	6 – 6?	Creedite	3? – 4
Helvite	6 – 6?	Cuprite	3? – 4
Hyalophane	6 – 6?	Dickinsonite	3? – 4
Labradorite	6 – 6?	Dolomite	3? – 4
Marcasite	6 – 6?	Euchroite	3? – 4
Microcline	6 – 6?	Langbeinite	3? – 4
Nephrite	6 – 6?	Malachite	3? – 4
Norbergite	6 – 6?	Mimetite	3? – 4
Oligoclase	6 – 6?	Pentlandite	3? – 4
Petalite	6 – 6?	Powellite	3? – 4
Prehnite	6 – 6?	Scorodite	3? – 4
Pyrite	6 – 6?	Shungite	3? – 4
Rutile	6 – 6?	Shattuckite	3? – 4
Sanidine	6 – 6?	Sphalerite	3? – 4
Smaragdite	6 – 6?	Wavellite	3? – 4
Sugilite	6 – 6?	Wurtzite	3? – 4
Tantalite	6 – 6?	Adamite	3?
Xonotlite	6 – 6?	Anhydrite	3?
Zoisite	6 – 6?	Chiolite	3?
Aegirine	6	Huréaulite	3?
Amblygonite	6	Strontianite	3?
Clinohumite	6	Thaumasite	3?
Humite	6	Weloganite	3?
Hurlbutite	6	Cacoxenite	3 -4
Lawsonite	6	Coral	3 -4
Pumpellyite	6	Ludlamite	3 -4
Tephroite	6	Anglesite	3 – 3?
Vlasovite	6	Baryte	3 – 3?
Zektzerite	6	Boleite	3 – 3?
Hematite	5? – 6?	Cerussite	3 – 3?
Hedenbergite	5? – 6?	Celestine	3 – 3?
Magnetite	5? – 6?	Descloizite	3 – 3?
Manganotantalite	5? – 6?	Greenockite	3 – 3?
Opal	5? – 6?	Howlite	3 – 3?
Rhodonite	5? – 6?	Millerite	3 – 3?
Actinolite	5? – 6	Phosphophyllite	3 – 3?
Allanite	5? – 6	Witherite	3 – 3?
Anatase	5? – 6	Bornite	3
Beryllonite	5? – 6	Calcite	3
Brookite	5? – 6	Kurnakovite	3
Bustamite	5? – 6	Shortite	3
Canasite	5? – 6	Wulfenite	3
Cobaltite	5? – 6	Serpentine	?2? –? 5?
Euxenite	5? – 6	Pearl	?2? –? 4?
Fabulite	5? – 6	Jet	?2? –? 4
Fergusonite	5? – 6	Chalcocite	?2? –? 3
Haüyne	5? – 6	Crocoite	?2? –? 3
Leucite	5? – 6	Gaylussite	?2? –? 3
Marialite	5? – 6	Gold	?2? –? 3
Meionite	5? – 6	Inderite	?2? –? 3
Milarite	5? – 6	Lepidolite	?2? –? 3
Montebrasite	5? – 6	Pyrargyrite	?2? –? 3
Natromontebrasite	5? – 6	Silver	?2? –? 3
Periclase	5? – 6	Stolzite	?2? –? 3
Pyroxmangite	5? – 6	Vanadinite	?2? –? 3
Sarcolite	5? – 6	Whewellite	?2? –? 3
Scorzalite	5? – 6	Brucite	?2?
Scapolite	5? – 6	Cryolite	?2?
Sodalite	5? – 6	Linarite	?2?
Tugtupite	5? – 6	Lizardite	?2?
Brazilianite	5?	Proustite	?2?
Breithauptite	5?	Sturmanite	?2?
Chromite	5?	Chrysocolla	2 – 4
Enstatite	5?	Clinochrysotile	2 -3
Linobate	5?	Fuchsite	2 -3
Magnesiochromite	5?	Muscovite	2 -3
Moldavite	5?	Phosgenite	2 -3
Willemite	5?	Shomiokite	2 -3
Aeschynite	5 – 6	Amber	2 –? 2?
Bronzite	5 – 6	Cinnabar	2 –? 2?
Cancrinite	5 – 6	Ettringite	2 –? 2?
Catapleiite	5 – 6	K?mmererite	2 –? 2?
Ceruléite	5 – 6	Mellite	2 –? 2?
Clinoenstatite	5 – 6	Senarmontite	2 –? 2?
Davidite	5 – 6	Ulexite	2 –? 2?
Diopside	5 – 6	Villiaumite	2 –? 2?
Ferrosilite	5 – 6	Gypsum	2
Hornblende	5 – 6	Stichtite	1?? –? 2?
		Sulphur	1?? –? 2?
		Covellite	1?? –? 2
		Melonite	1?? –? 2
		Realgar	1?? –? 2
		Vivianite	1?? –? 2
		Palygorskite	1 – 2
		Pyrophyllite	1 – 2
		Talc	1