Mineral Hardness - Mohs Scale

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

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