{"id":2165,"date":"2018-12-06T07:00:22","date_gmt":"2018-12-06T12:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=2165"},"modified":"2023-07-01T11:05:36","modified_gmt":"2023-07-01T15:05:36","slug":"what-is-the-mohs-scale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/what-is-the-mohs-scale\/","title":{"rendered":"WHAT IS THE MOH’S SCALE OF HARDNESS?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"What's<\/div>\n

The Mohs Scale of Hardness<\/strong> is a scale that lists the hardness of minerals from weakest to strongest<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Friedrich Mohs:<\/h2>\n

\nThe Mohs Scale was developed in 1812<\/strong> by a German mineralogist<\/strong> named Friedrich Mohs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nMohs came up with a main list of ten natural minerals<\/strong> to show their hardness and scratch resistance to each other.<\/p>\n

\nWhile most of these items on the list are in somewhat of a relative order, the last one, diamond, is an exception.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Diamond is 4 times harder than corundum.<\/h2>\n

\nThe Mohs Scale of Hardness is as follows…<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nFrom one to ten on the scale, we start with…<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. TALC – 1<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. GYPSUM – 2<\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. CALCITE – 9<\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. FLUORITE – 21<\/strong><\/li>\n
  5. APATITE – 48<\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. FELDSPAR – 72<\/strong><\/li>\n
  7. QUARTZ – 100<\/strong><\/li>\n
  8. TOPAZ – 200<\/strong><\/li>\n
  9. CORUNDUM – 400<\/strong><\/li>\n
  10. DIAMOND – 1600<\/strong> (Numbers after Name are Absolute Hardness<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Compare Items<\/h2>\n

    \nComparing these items on the Mohs Scale, you’ll see that there are interesting bigger numbers after the names. Those numbers are the mineral’s “absolute hardness<\/strong>“.<\/p>\n

    Absolute Hardness?<\/h2>\n

    \nThat number is what the hardness of the mineral truly is<\/strong>. Mohs just put them on a scale of 1 to 10 to simplify things<\/strong> and make it easier for people to relate. <\/p>\n

    \nBut as you can see, diamond is a huge leap<\/strong> above and beyond the entire rest of the list.<\/p>\n

    Much more than just 10 items:<\/h2>\n

    \nThe Mohs Scale is certainly a much more detailed list than just ten items.<\/p>\n

    \nWhere do the rest of the gemstones, rocks, minerals and common things fall in line?<\/p>\n

    Take a peek…<\/h2>\n

    \nBelow is a giant list<\/strong> of items compiled together to form the biggest Mohs Scale list on the net.<\/strong> This is what I call the extended <\/strong>Mohs Scale. It’s huge and fascinating. The complete Mohs Scale list follows…<\/p>\n

    Extended Mohs Scale list:<\/h2>\n\n\n
    \n
      \n
    • Plastic – 1<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Graphite – 1<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Talc – 1<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Pencil Lead – 1<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Sulfur – 1.5 – 2.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Gypsum – 2<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Alabaster – 2<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Rock Salts – 2<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Plaster of Paris – 2<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Mercury – 2 – 2.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Salt – 2 – 3<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Amber – 2.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Ivory – 2.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Fingernail – 2.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Pearl – 2.5<\/li>\n
    • Zinc – 2.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Gold – 2.5 – 3<\/li>\n
    • Silver – 2.5 – 3<\/li>\n
    • Aluminum – 2.5 – 3<\/li>\n
    • Jet – 2.5 – 3<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Copper Penny – 3<\/li>\n
    • Calcite – 3<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Limestone – 3<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Shells – 3<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Bronze – 3<\/li>\n
    • Coral – 3<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Barite – 3 – 3.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Malachite – 3.5 – 4<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Azurite – 3.5 – 4<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Fluorite – 4<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Platinum – 4 – 4.5<\/li>\n
    • Iron – 4 – 5<\/li>\n
    • Meteorite – 4.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Palladium – 4.75<\/li>\n
    • Apatite – 5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Tooth Enamel – 5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Lapis – 5 – 5.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Obsidian – 5 – 5.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Hematite – 5 – 6<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Knife Blade – 5.5<\/li>\n
    • Opal – 5.5 – 6<\/li>\n
    • Turquoise – 5.5 – 6<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Magnetite – 5.5 – 6.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Rhodonite – 5.5 – 6.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Titanium – 6<\/li>\n
    • Rhodium – 6<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Feldspar – 6<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Orthoclase – 6<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Rutile – 6 – 6.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Fire Opal – 6 – 6.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Moonstone – 6 – 6.5<\/li>\n
    • Marcasite – 6 – 6.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Iron Pyrite – 6.5<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Tanzanite – 6.5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
    		\n