Mineral Hardness - Mohs Scale

The Mohs qualitative ordinal scale characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals.

The Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals or materials through the ability of a harder materials to scratch softer materials.

Mohs Scale - Typical Materials
Mohs Hardness	Typical Material
1	Talc
2	Gypsum, Rock salt
2.5	Fingernail, pure gold, silver, aluminum
3	Calcspar (calcite), copper coin (penny)
4	Fluorspar (fluorite)
4.5	Platinum, iron
5	Apatite
6	Felspar, orthoclase, titanium, spectrolite
6.5	Steelfile, iron pyrite, glass, vitreous pure silica, streak plate
7	Quarts, amethyst, citrine, agate
7.5	Garnet
8	Topaz, hardened steel, beryl, emerald, aquamarine
8.94	Rock crystal quartz
9	African crystal corundum, ruby, sapphire
9.03	Fused alumina
9.06	Fused alumina (3.14% TiO₂)
9.09	Tungsten carbid (13% cobalt)
9.15	Black silicon carbide
9.32	Boron carbide
9.5	Carborundum
9.95	Diamond, Congo clear white
9.96	Diamond, Congo yellow
9.99	Diamond, South American brown ballas
10	Diamond, South American brown bort

Minerals and Mohs Hardnes

Minerals - Mohs Hardnes
Mineral	Mohs Hardnes
Acanthite	2
Acmite	6 - 6.5
Actinolite	5.5
Alabandite	3.4 - 4.4
Alamandine	7 - 8
Albite	7
Allanite	5.5
Allemontite	3 - 4
Allophane	3
Altaite	2.5
Alunite	3.5 - 4
Amblygonite	5.5 - 6
Analcime	5
Anatese	5.5 - 6
Andalusite	6.5 - 7
Andesine	7
Andradite	6.5 - 7
Anglesite	2.5 - 3
Ankerite	3.5 - 4
Annebergite	2
Anorthite	6
Anorthoclase	6
Anthophyllite	5 - 6
Anthydrite
Antimony	3 - 3.5
Antlerite	3
Apatite	5
Apophyllite	4 - 4.5
Aragonite	3.5 - 4
Arfvedsonite	5.5 - 6
Argenite	2 - 2.5
Arsenic	3.5
Arsenopyrite	5
Atacamite	3 - 3.5
Augite	5 - 6.5
Aurichalcite	2
Autonite	2 - 2.5
Awaruite	5
Axinite	6.5 - 7
Azurite	3.5 - 4
Barite	3 - 3.5
Bastnaesite	4 - 5
Beidellite	1 - 2
Beryl	7.5 -8
Biotite	2.5 - 3
Bismite	4 - 5
Bismuth	2 - 2.5
Boehmite	3
Boracite	7
Borax	2 - 2.5
Boulangerite	2.5
Brannerite	4 - 5
Braunite	6 - 6.5
Bravoite	6.5
Brochantite	3.5 - 4
Bromargyrite	1.5 - 2
Bronzite	5.5 - 6
Brookite	5.5 - 6
Brucite	2.5 - 3
Bytownite	7
Calcite	3
Calomel	1.5 - 2
Calvarite	2.5
Cancrinite	2.5
Carnallite	2.5
Carnotite	2
Cassiterite	6 - 7
Celestite	3 - 3.5
Celsian	6 - 6.5
Cerargyrite	1 - 1.5
Cerussite	3 - 3.5
Cervanite	4 - 5
Chabazite	4
Chalcanthite	2.5
Chalcocite	2.5 - 3
Chalcopyrite	3.5
Chlorite	1 - 2
Chloritoid	6.5
Chondrodite	6 - 6.5
Chromite	5.5
Chrysoberyl	8.5
Chrysocolla	2.5 - 3.5
Cinnibar	2 - 2.5
Clinochlore	2 - 2.5
Clinoclase	2.5 - 3
Clinoenstatite	5 - 6
Clinoferrosilite	5 - 6
Clinohumite	6
Clinzoite	7
Cobaltite	5.5
Colemanite	4.5
Columbite	6
Copper	2.5 - 3
Cordierite	7
Corundum	9
Coveillite	1.5 - 2
Cristobalite	6.5
Crocoite	2.5 - 3
Cryolite	2.5 - 3
Cubanite	3.5
Cummingtonite	5 - 6
Cuprite	3.5 - 4
Danburite	7
Datolite	5.5
Diamond	10
Diaspore	6.5 - 7
Dickite	1.5 - 2
Digenite	2.5 - 3
Diopside	6
Dioptase	5
Dolmite	3.5 - 4
Dumortierite	8.5
Edenite	6
Embolite	1 - 1.5
Enargite	3
Enstatite	5.5
Erythrite	1.5 - 2
Espomite	2 - 2.5
Euclase	7.5
Euxenite	6.5
Fayalite	6.5
Feberite	4.5
Fergusonite	5.5 - 6.5
Ferrimolybdite	2.5 - 3
Ferrosilite	5 - 6
Fluorite	4
Forsterite	6 - 7
Franklinite	5.5 - 6
Gadolinite	6.5 - 7
Gahnite	8
Galaxite	7.5
Galena	2.5
Garnierite	3 - 4
Gaylussite	2.5
Geocronite	2.5 - 3
Gersdorffite	5.5
Gibbsite	2.5 - 3
Glauberite	2.5 - 3
Glauconite	2
Glaucophane	6 - 6.5
Gmelinite	4.5
Goethite	5 - 5.5
Gold	2.5 - 3
Goslarite	2 - 2.5
Graphite	1.5 - 2
Greenocktite	3.5 - 4
Grossularite	6.5 - 7.5
Gypsum	2
Halite	2.5
Halloysite	2
Harmotome	4 - 5
Hastingsite	6
Hausmanite	5.5
Hauynite	5 - 6
Hectorite	1 - 2
Hedenbergite	5 - 6
Helvite	6 - 6.5
Hemimorphite	5
Hercynite	7.5
Hessite	1.5 - 2
Heulandite	3 - 3.5
Hornblende	5 - 6
Huebnerite	4.5
Humite	6 - 6.5
Hyalophane	6 - 6.5
Hydrozincite	2 - 2.5
Hypersthene	5.5 - 6
Ice	2.5
Iddingsite	3
Idocrase	6.5
Illemenite	5 - 5.5
Illite	1 - 2
Ilvaite	5.5 - 6
Iodobromite	1 - 1.5
Iodyrite	1.5 - 2
Irdosmine	6 - 7
Iridium	6 - 7
Jacobsite	5.5 - 6
Jadeite	6.5
Jamesonite	2.5
Jarosite	2.5 - 3.5
Kaliophilite	5.5 - 6
Kaolinite	1.5 - 2
Kernite	2.5 - 3
Krennerite	2.5
Kyanite	4 - 7
Langbeinite	3.5 - 4
Larsenite	3
Laumonite	3.5 - 4
Lawsonite	7.5
Lazulite	5 - 6
Lazurite	5.5
Lechatelierite	6.5
Lepidolite	2.5 - 3
Leucite	6
Liebthenite	4
Limonite	5 - 5.5
Linarite	2.5
Linneaeite	4.5 - 5.5
Lithiophilite	4 - 5
Loellingite	5
Magnesite	4
Magnetite	5.5 - 6
Malachite	3.5 - 4
Manganite	4
Manganosite	5 - 6
Marcasite	6 - 6.5
Margarite	4
Marialite	5.5 - 6
Meionite	5 - 6
Melanterite	2
Melilite	5 - 5.5
Menaghinite	2.5
Miargyrite	2 - 2.5
Microcline	6
Microlite	5 - 5.5
Millerite	3 - 3.5
Mimetite	3.5 - 4
Minium	2.5 - 3
Molybdenite	1
Monazite	5 - 5.5
Monticellite	5
Montmotillonite	1.5 - 2
Mullite	6 - 7
Musscovite	2 - 2.5
Nacrite	1
Nagyagite	1.5 - 2
Natrolite	5.5 - 6
Nephheline	6
Niccolite	5.5
Nitre	2
Nontronite	1.5 - 2
Norbergite	6 - 6.5
Noselite	5.5 - 6
Oligoclase	7
Opal	5.5 - 6
Orpiment	1.5 - 2
Orthoclase	6
Ottrelite	6 - 7
Palladium	4.5 - 5
Paragonite	2.5
Pargasite	6
Pearceite	2.5 - 3
Pectolite	5
Pentlandite	3.5 - 4
Perovskite	5.5
Petalite	6 - 6.5
Petzite	2.5
Phenaktite	7.5 - 8
Phillipsite	4.5 - 5
Phlogopite	2 - 2.5
Phosgenite	2.5 - 3
Phosphuranylite	2.5
Pigeonite	6
Plagionite	2.5
Platinum	4 - 4.5
Polucite	6.5
Polybasite	2.5 - 3
Polycrase	5 - 6
Polyhalite	2.5 - 3.5
Potash alum	2 - 2.5
Powellite	3.5
Prehnite	6 - 6.5
Proustite	2 - 2.5
Pyrargyrite	2.5
Pyrite	6.6
Pyrochlore	5 - 5.5
Pyrolusite	6 - 6.5
Pyromorphite	3.5 - 4
Pyrope	7.5
Pyrophyllite	1.5 - 2
Pyrrhotite	3.5 - 4
Quartz	7
Rammelsbergite	5.5
Realgar	1.5 - 2
Rhodochrosite	3
Rhodonite	6
Riebeckite	4
Roscoelite	2.5
Rutile	6 - 6.5
Samarskite	5 - 6
Sanadine	6
Saponite	1 - 1.5
Scapolite	6
Scheelite	4 - 5
Scolecite	5 - 5.5
Scorodite	3.5 - 4
Scorzalite	5.5 - 6
Semseyite	2.5
Sepiolite	2
Serpentine	2.5 - 3
Siderite	3.5
Siegenite	5 - 5.5
Sillimanite	7
Silver	2.5 - 3
Sklodowskite	2 - 3
Skutterudite	5.5 - 6
Smithsonite	4.5
Soda nitre	1.5 - 2
Sodalite	6
Sperrylite	6 - 7
Spessartine	6.5 - 7.5
Sphalerite	3.5 - 4
Sphene	5 - 5.5
Spinel group	8
Spodumene	6.5 - 7
Stannite	3.5 - 4
Staurolite	7 - 7.5
Stephanite	2 - 2.5
Sternbergite	1 - 1.5
Stibnite	2
Stilbite	3.5 - 4
Stolzite	2.5 - 3
Stromeyerite	2.5 - 3
Strontianite	3.5
Sulphur	1.5 - 2.5
Sylvanite	1.5 - 2
Sylvite	2.5
Talc	1
Tantalite	6 - 6.5
Tennantite	3.5 - 4
Tenorite	3.5 - 4
Tephroite	6.5
Tetrahedrite	3.4 - 4
Thenardite	2.5
Thomsonite	5 - 5.5
Thorianite	6
Thorite	5
Tin	2
Topaz	8
Torbernite	2 - 2.5
Tourmaline	7
Tremolite	5 - 6
Tridymite	6.5 - 7
Triphylite	4 - 5
Troilite	3.5 - 4
Trona	2.5
Tungstite	2.5
Turquoise	5 - 6
Tyuyamunite	1.5 - 2
Ulexite	2.5
Uraninite	5 - 6
Uranophane	2.5
Uvarovite	6.5 - 7
Vanadinite	3.5 - 4
Variscite	4 - 5
Vermiculite	1.5 - 2
Violarite	4.5 - 5.5
Vivianite	1.5 - 2
Wavellite	3.5 - 4
Willemite	5.5
Witherite	3 - 3.5
Wolframite	4.5
Wollastonite	5
Wulfenite	3
Wurtzite	3.5 - 4
Xenotime	4 - 5
Zincite	4 - 5
Zinkenite	3 - 3.5
Zircon	7.5
Zoisite	6.5