The Mohs Hardness Scale

The Mohs Scale is a qualitative hardness scale that ranges from 1 to 10, describing the ability of a harder mineral, such as a gemstone or diamond, to scratch other softer stones or minerals. One thing to keep in mind is that the scale is purely an ordinal scale. That being said, sapphires are twice as hard as topaz and diamonds are four times as hard as sapphires, despite their numbers on the Mohs hardness scale.

A mineral's hardness is its ability to resist scratches. A mineral's toughness is its ability to resist being fractured. Below is a list of some of the most common gemstones we work with, including their ranking on the Mohs hardness scale as well as its toughness.

The Mohs Hardness Scale: Comparing the Hardness of Minerals The Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness (created by Friedrich Mohs in 1822)

The Mohs Hardness Scale

10   Diamond
9    Corundum
8    Topaz
7    Quartz
6    Feldspar
5    Apatite
4    Fluorite
3    Calcite
2    Gypsum
1    Talc

Mohs Hardness Testing Tips

• A list of minerals in order of hardness can be a handy reference. If you determine that a specimen has a hardness of Mohs 4 you can quickly get a list of potential minerals.

• Practice and experience will improve your abilities when doing this test. You will become faster and more confident.

• If the hardness of the unknown specimen is about 5 or less, you should be able to produce a scratch without much exertion. However, if the unknown specimen has a hardness of about 6 or greater, then producing a scratch will require some force. For those specimens, hold the unknown firmly against the table, place the standard specimen against it, press firmly with determination, then holding pressure slowly drag the standard specimen across the surface of the unknown.

• Don't be fooled by a soft standard specimen producing a mark on a hard unknown. That mark is like what a piece of chalk produces on a blackboard. It will wipe off without leaving a scratch. Wipe your finger across the tested surface. If a scratch was produced there will be a visible groove. If marks wipe away then a scratch was not produced.

• Some hard materials are also very brittle. If one of your specimens is breaking or crumbling rather than scratching, you will have to be very careful while conducting the test. Testing tiny or granular specimens can be difficult.

• Some specimens contain impurities. If the results of your test are not visibly conclusive, or if the information from your test does not conform with other properties, do not hesitate to do the test again. It is possible that a small piece of quartz (or another impurity) was embedded in one of your specimens.

• Don't be wimpy! This is a very common problem. Some people casually rub one specimen back and forth against another and then look for a mark. That is not how the test is done. It is done with a single, determined motion with the goal of cutting a scratch.

• Be careful. When you hold the unknown specimen against the table, position it so that the known specimen will not be pulled across one of your fingers.

• This test should be done on a lab table or work bench with a durable surface or a protective covering. Don't do this type of testing on fine furniture.

• Test tiny particles or grains by placing them between two pieces of an index mineral and scraping them together. If the grains are harder than the index mineral scratches will be produced. If the grains are softer they will smear.

The Mohs Hardness Scale: Comparing the Hardness of Minerals Photo: CompoundChem Creative Commons