Mohs Scale

THE MOHS SCALE

The Mohs scale is a scale from 1 to 10, characterizing scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of harder material to scratch softer material.

GEMSTONE GEMSTONE FAMILY HARDNESS
 DIAMOND DIAMOND 10
MOISSANITE MOISSANITE 9.5
RUBY CORUNDUM 9
SAPPHIRE CORUNDUM 9
CUBIC ZIRCONIA CUBIC ZIRCONIA 8 - 8.5
ALEXANDRITE CHRYSOBERYL 8.5
TOPAZ TOPAZ 8
EMERALD BERYL 7.5 - 8
MORGANITE BERYL 7.5 - 8
AQUAMARINE BERYL 7.5 - 8
SPINEL SPINEL 7.5 - 8
ZIRCON ZIRCON 7.5
TOURMALINE TOURMALINE 7 - 7.5
AMETHYST QUARTZ 7
CITRINE QUARTZ 7
PERIDOT PERIDOT 7
GARNET GARNET 6.5 - 7.5
TANZANITE ZOISITE 6.5 - 7
LABRADORITE FELDSPAR 6 - 6.5
MOONSTONE FELDSPAR 6 - 6.5
MOLDAVITE TEKTITE 5.5
OPAL OPAL 5.5
TURQUOISE TURQUOISE 5 - 6
MALACHITE MALACHITE 3.5 - 4
PEARL PEARL 2.5

In 1812, Friedrich Mohs – famous geologist and mineralogist created the Mohs scale to characterize each gemstones level of hardness, from the softest (1) to hardest (10).

This scale is perfect for figuring out the gemstones general level of hardness but does not always factor in other elements of a gemstones structure when you are considering stones for day to day wear. Emeralds for example, have many inclusions in the stone, which can weaken the overall structure, making them more likely to scratch or chip, In this case some styles of this stone are not recommended for everyday wear.

Care should always be taken when wearing any gemstone jewelry so that these timeless beauties can be passed on for a lifetime.

SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS

A CLOSER LOOK

ZIRCON

Zircon is a mineral that occurs in nature and can come in a variety of colors. Some people confuse it with cubic zirconia, but these two substances are different. Colorless pieces of zircon are sometimes cut, polished, and used as diamond imitations. This mineral has a hardness rating of 7.5 on the Mohs scale.

WHITE SAPPHIRE

White sapphires are often used as diamond substitutes. Sapphire is not as hard as diamond bit is still harder than most other gemstones (it is a 9 on the Mohs scale). The combination of durability and colorlessness in white sapphire makes it popular as a diamond imitation.