Mohs Scale – Gems & Mineral Hardness

One of the most well-known characteristics of diamonds is their exceptional hardness. Diamonds are so hard that they rank as a 10 on the Mohs scale, which is the highest level of hardness on this scale. But what exactly is the Mohs scale?

The Mohs scale (pronounced MOZE) is a system that rates the hardness of gems and minerals. This rating system is based on how resistant a stone is to scratching, or how its surface responds when it comes into contact with a sharp point. It's important to note that a gem's toughness is different from its hardness, as toughness refers to a gem's ability to withstand an impact or resist breaking, chipping, or cracking.

The Mohs scale was first introduced in 1822 by Friedrich Mohs, who selected ten minerals and assigned them numbers based on how easily they could be scratched by another mineral. This resulted in the scale that we still use today.

It's worth noting that the difference in hardness between minerals on the Mohs scale is not necessarily equal, even though they may appear to be evenly spaced. For example, diamonds are only one number higher than the Corundum mineral family (which includes rubies and sapphires), but diamonds are much harder than the Corundum gems.

The Mohs scale is an important tool for identifying how durable a gemstone is. The more durable a gem is, the more suitable it is for use in jewelry that is worn frequently.