Gem Hardness DB
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Loaded 300+ Gemstones
10
MOHS
Diamond
Carbon
Indestructible. Daily wear king.
9.25
MOHS
Moissanite
Silicon Carbide
Top Tier. Best diamond alternative.
9
MOHS
Ruby
Corundum
Excellent. Safe for daily rings.
9
MOHS
Sapphire
Corundum
Excellent. Safe for daily rings.
9
MOHS
Padparadscha
Corundum
Rare Orange-Pink. Very durable.
9
MOHS
Star Sapphire
Corundum
Durable, but cabochon surface exposes wear.
9
MOHS
Star Ruby
Corundum
Durable, but cabochon surface exposes wear.
9
MOHS
White Sapphire
Corundum
Good diamond alternative.
9
MOHS
Color Change Sapphire
Corundum
Excellent durability.
8.5
MOHS
Alexandrite
Chrysoberyl
Very durable. Color changes.
8.5
MOHS
Cat's Eye Chrysoberyl
Chrysoberyl
Hard and tough.
8.5
MOHS
Chrysoberyl
Chrysoberyl
Yellow-Green. Very durable.
8.5
MOHS
Cubic Zirconia
Synthetic
Hard, but fogs over time.
8.5
MOHS
YAG
Synthetic
Vintage simulant. Very hard.
8
MOHS
Taaffeite
Oxide
Rarer than diamond. Durable.
8
MOHS
Musgravite
Oxide
Extremely Rare. Durable.
8
MOHS
Spinel
Oxide
Underrated toughness. Great ring stone.
8
MOHS
Red Spinel
Oxide
Ruby alternative. Durable.
8
MOHS
Blue Spinel
Oxide
Sapphire alternative. Durable.
8
MOHS
Topaz
Silicate
Hard but has cleavage. Avoid knocks.
8
MOHS
Imperial Topaz
Silicate
Precious variety. Handle with care.
8
MOHS
Blue Topaz
Silicate
Irradiated. Very common.
8
MOHS
White Topaz
Silicate
Cheap diamond simulant.
8
MOHS
Mystic Topaz
Silicate
Coated. Coating scratches easily.
8
MOHS
Pezzottaite
Beryl
Raspberry Beryl. Rare.
7.5
MOHS
Phenakite
Silicate
Rare. Hard and brilliant.
8
MOHS
Painite
Borate
Once rarest gem. Durable.
8
MOHS
Gahnite
Spinel
Zinc Spinel. Durable.
7.5
MOHS
Emerald
Beryl
⚠️ Brittle! Needs protective bezel.
7.5
MOHS
Aquamarine
Beryl
Good hardness. Clean often.
7.5
MOHS
Morganite
Beryl
Engagement favorite. Accumulates grime.
7.5
MOHS
Heliodor
Beryl
Golden Beryl. Good durability.
7.5
MOHS
Red Beryl
Beryl
Extremely Rare. Brittle.
7.5
MOHS
Goshenite
Beryl
Colorless Beryl. Durable.
7.5
MOHS
Maxixe
Beryl
Deep blue beryl. Fades in light.
7.5
MOHS
Almandine Garnet
Garnet
Common Red. Decent durability.
7.25
MOHS
Pyrope Garnet
Garnet
Blood Red. Good for jewelry.
7.25
MOHS
Rhodolite Garnet
Garnet
Pink-Red. Popular and safe.
7.25
MOHS
Tsavorite Garnet
Garnet
Vivid Green. Good toughness.
7
MOHS
Spessartine
Garnet
Fanta Orange. Fair durability.
6.5
MOHS
Demantoid
Garnet
Softer. More fire than diamond.
7
MOHS
Hessonite
Garnet
Cinnamon Stone. Fair.
7
MOHS
Mali Garnet
Garnet
Yellow-Green. Fair.
7.25
MOHS
Color Change Garnet
Garnet
Alexandrite effect. Good.
7
MOHS
Uvarovite
Garnet
Drusy green crystals.
6.5
MOHS
Andradite
Garnet
Soft. Collector stone.
7
MOHS
Grossular
Garnet
Includes Tsavorite/Hessonite.
7
MOHS
Hydrogrossular
Garnet
Translucent jade-like.
7.5
MOHS
Euclase
Silicate
Rare. Perfect cleavage (risky).
7.5
MOHS
Hambergite
Borate
Very rare. Brittle.
7
MOHS
Danburite
Silicate
Pink/Colorless. Durable.
7.5
MOHS
Grandidierite
Silicate
Blue-green rare. Durable.
7.5
MOHS
Zircon (High)
Silicate
Brittle edges. Double refraction.
7
MOHS
Blue Zircon
Silicate
Heat treated. Abraidable.
7.5
MOHS
Starlite
Zircon
Trade name for Blue Zircon.
7.25
MOHS
Tourmaline
Group
Good. Attracts dust electrically.
7.25
MOHS
Paraiba
Tourmaline
Neon Blue. Valuable. Wear carefully.
7.25
MOHS
Rubellite
Tourmaline
Red Tourmaline. Good.
7.25
MOHS
Indicolite
Tourmaline
Blue Tourmaline. Good.
7.25
MOHS
Chrome Tourmaline
Tourmaline
Deep green. Good.
7.25
MOHS
Watermelon Tourmaline
Tourmaline
Bi-color. Good.
7.25
MOHS
Schorl
Tourmaline
Black Tourmaline. Good.
7.25
MOHS
Dravite
Tourmaline
Brown Tourmaline. Good.
7.25
MOHS
Achroite
Tourmaline
Colorless Tourmaline. Rare.
7.25
MOHS
Liddicoatite
Tourmaline
Patterned Tourmaline.
7
MOHS
Iolite
Silicate
Water Sapphire. Directional hardness.
7
MOHS
Dumortierite
Silicate
Violet-blue. Tough aggregate.
7
MOHS
Staurolite
Silicate
Fairy Cross. Collector.
7
MOHS
Axinite
Silicate
Wedge shaped. Brittle.
6.5
MOHS
Kornerupine
Silicate
Rare green/brown. Fair.
7
MOHS
Quartz
Silica
The standard for hardness.
7
MOHS
Amethyst
Quartz
Standard. Scratches over years.
7
MOHS
Citrine
Quartz
Standard. Good for jewelry.
7
MOHS
Smoky Quartz
Quartz
Standard durability.
7
MOHS
Rose Quartz
Quartz
Often cloudy. Scratches.
7
MOHS
Prasiolite
Quartz
Green Quartz. Standard.
7
MOHS
Tiger's Eye
Quartz
Chatoyant. Durable enough.
7
MOHS
Rutilated Quartz
Quartz
Contains needles. Standard.
7
MOHS
Tourmalinated Quartz
Quartz
Contains tourmaline. Standard.
7
MOHS
Ametrine
Quartz
Amethyst/Citrine mix.
7
MOHS
Rock Crystal
Quartz
Pure clear quartz.
7
MOHS
Morion
Quartz
Black quartz.
7
MOHS
Hawk's Eye
Quartz
Blue Tiger's Eye.
7
MOHS
Chalcedony
Quartz (Agg)
Very tough aggregate.
7
MOHS
Agate
Chalcedony
Tough. Good for daily wear.
7
MOHS
Onyx
Chalcedony
Black. Tough and safe.
7
MOHS
Carnelian
Chalcedony
Orange. Tough.
7
MOHS
Chrysoprase
Chalcedony
Apple Green. Tough.
7
MOHS
Jasper
Chalcedony
Opaque pattern. Very tough.
7
MOHS
Bloodstone
Chalcedony
Dark green w/ red spots. Tough.
7
MOHS
Sardonyx
Chalcedony
Banded onyx. Tough.
7
MOHS
Moss Agate
Chalcedony
Inclusions. Tough.
7
MOHS
Fire Agate
Chalcedony
Iridescent. Tough.
7
MOHS
Dendritic Agate
Chalcedony
Fern-like patterns.
7
MOHS
Blue Lace Agate
Chalcedony
Banded blue.
7
MOHS
Aventurine
Quartz
Sparkly green quartz.
7
MOHS
Pietersite
Quartz
Tempest stone. Tough.
7
MOHS
Mookaite
Jasper
Australian Jasper. Tough.
6.5
MOHS
Tanzanite
Zoisite
❌ Soft! Earrings/Pendants preferred.
6.5
MOHS
Kunzite
Spodumene
Fades in sunlight. Soft.
6.5
MOHS
Hiddenite
Spodumene
Green Kunzite. Soft.
6.5
MOHS
Peridot
Olivine
Sensitive to acid & scratches.
6.5
MOHS
Benitoite
Silicate
Rare US Gem. Soft.
6.5
MOHS
Jadeite
Jade
Soft surface, but UNBREAKABLE structure.
6
MOHS
Nephrite
Jade
Tougher than steel (structure).
6
MOHS
Maw Sit Sit
Rock
Jade-like rock. Soft.
6
MOHS
Moonstone
Feldspar
❌ Soft. Cleaves easily.
6.25
MOHS
Sunstone
Feldspar
Glittery. Soft.
6
MOHS
Labradorite
Feldspar
Schiller effect. Soft.
6
MOHS
Amazonite
Feldspar
Blue-green. Soft.
6
MOHS
Orthoclase
Feldspar
Collector stone. Soft.
5.5
MOHS
Opal
Silica
❌ Very Fragile. Needs moisture.
6
MOHS
Fire Opal
Silica
Mexican Orange. Soft.
6
MOHS
Boulder Opal
Silica
More durable than precious opal.
5.5
MOHS
Black Opal
Silica
Valuable but fragile.
5.5
MOHS
Ethiopian Opal
Silica
Hydrophane (absorbs water).
5.5
MOHS
Common Opal
Silica
No play of color.
5.5
MOHS
Turquoise
Phosphate
Porous. Avoid chemicals/oils.
5.5
MOHS
Lapis Lazuli
Rock
Soft blue rock. Often sealed.
5.5
MOHS
Sodalite
Silicate
Royal blue. Soft.
6
MOHS
Hematite
Oxide
Metallic grey. Heavy.
4
MOHS
Rhodochrosite
Carbonate
Pink bands. Very soft.
4
MOHS
Malachite
Carbonate
❌ Very soft. Decoration only.
3.5
MOHS
Azurite
Carbonate
Deep blue. Collector only.
4
MOHS
Fluorite
Halide
Fragile. Cleaves perfectly.
5
MOHS
Apatite
Phosphate
Soft. Paraiba lookalike.
5.5
MOHS
Sphene
Titanite
High fire (dispersion). Soft.
5.5
MOHS
Diopside
Silicate
Chrome Green. Soft.
5.5
MOHS
Chrome Diopside
Silicate
Deep green. Soft.
5
MOHS
Kyanite
Silicate
Hardness varies by angle.
5.5
MOHS
Moldavite
Tektite
Space Glass. Fragile.
5
MOHS
Obsidian
Glass
Natural glass. Sharp but brittle.
5
MOHS
Snowflake Obsidian
Glass
Patterned glass.
6
MOHS
Scapolite
Silicate
Common collector stone. Soft.
6
MOHS
Prehnite
Silicate
Apple green. Soft.
6.5
MOHS
Zoisite
Silicate
Includes Ruby-in-Zoisite.
6.5
MOHS
Ruby in Zoisite
Rock
Ornamental rock.
5
MOHS
Charoite
Silicate
Purple swirl. Soft.
6
MOHS
Sugilite
Silicate
Purple gel. Rare. Soft.
3
MOHS
Chrysocolla
Silicate
Blue-green. Very soft.
7
MOHS
Gem Silica
Chalcedony
Chrysocolla in quartz. Tough.
4.5
MOHS
Variscite
Phosphate
Green turquoise lookalike.
3.5
MOHS
Howlite
Borate
White with grey veins. Dyeable.
6.5
MOHS
Unakite
Rock
Pink and Green rock.
6
MOHS
Rhondonite
Silicate
Pink with black veins.
4
MOHS
Serpentine
Silicate
Green Jade simulant. Soft.
6.5
MOHS
Vesuvianite
Silicate
Idocrase. Fair.
6.5
MOHS
Idocrase
Silicate
Green/Brown. Fair.
6.5
MOHS
Sinhalite
Borate
Brownish-yellow. Soft.
6.5
MOHS
Kornerupine
Silicate
Rare collector stone.
6
MOHS
Amblygonite
Phosphate
Rare yellow. Soft.
5.5
MOHS
Brazilianite
Phosphate
Yellow-green. Soft.
5.5
MOHS
Lazulite
Phosphate
Blue. Soft.
7
MOHS
Sillimanite
Silicate
Fibrous. Good.
7.5
MOHS
Andalusite
Silicate
Pleochroic. Good.
7.5
MOHS
Chiastolite
Silicate
Cross Stone. Good.
6
MOHS
Petalite
Silicate
Colorless. Soft.
6.5
MOHS
Pollucite
Zeolite
Colorless. Soft.
5.5
MOHS
Datolite
Silicate
Pastel colors. Soft.
5
MOHS
Scheelite
Tungstate
Heavy. Soft.
3.5
MOHS
Sphalerite
Sulfide
Insane fire, too soft to set.
4
MOHS
Zincite
Oxide
Synthetic orange. Soft.
3.5
MOHS
Cuprite
Oxide
Dark red. Very soft.
1.5
MOHS
Realgar
Sulfide
Red. Toxic. Decomposes in light.
2
MOHS
Cinnabar
Sulfide
Red. Toxic mercury. Soft.
2
MOHS
Sulfur
Element
Yellow. Heat sensitive.
2.5
MOHS
Pearl
Organic
❌ Delicate. Last on, first off.
3.5
MOHS
Coral
Organic
Soft and porous.
2
MOHS
Amber
Organic
Fossil resin. Melts/burns.
3
MOHS
Jet
Organic
Fossil coal. Soft.
2.5
MOHS
Ivory
Organic
Illegal/Unethical. Soft.
3
MOHS
Shell
Organic
Mother of Pearl. Soft.
3.5
MOHS
Ammolite
Fossil
Iridescent fossil. Very fragile.
7
MOHS
Dinosaur Bone
Fossil
Agatized. Tough.
7
MOHS
Petrified Wood
Fossil
Agatized. Tough.