Bote, Michael Joshua P.

BSCE II-1
MOHS SCALE OF HARDNESS OF COMMON MINERALS
Mineral
Mohs Hardness
Mohs Hardness Test Using Common
Objects to Scratch
Diamond
10
Diamonds can be scratched by itself.
Researchers have reported that
wurtzite boron nitride and
lonsdaleite can be harder than
diamond. These Minerals are also
much rarer.
Corundum
9
It can be easily scratched with
diamonds and itself.
Chrysoberyl
8.5
It can be easily scratched with
Corundum and diamonds.
Topaz
8
It can be easily scratched with
diamond, corundum and itself.
Beryl
7.5 to 8
Spinel
7.5 to 8
Zircon
7.5
It can be easily scratched with
Cordierite
7 to 7.5
diamond, corundum and topaz.
Staurolite
7 to 7.5
Tourmaline
7 to 7.5
Quartz
7
It can be scratched with streak plate
and itself but easier with diamond.
Garnet
6.5 to 7.5
It can be scratched with streak plate
and quartz but easier with diamonds.
Jadeite
6.5 to 7
It can be scratched with streak plate
and easily with quartz.
Sillimanite
6.5 to 7.5
It can be scratched with streak plate
and quartz but easier with diamonds.
Olivine
6.5 to 7
It can be scratched with streak plate
Spodumene
6.5 to 7
and easily with quartz.
Marcasite
6 to 7.5
It can be scratched with streak plate
and quartz but easier with diamonds.
Cassiterite
6 to 7
It can be scratched with streak plate
Epidote
6 to 7
and easily with quartz.
Zoisite
6 to 7
Orthoclase
6 to 6.5
Plagioclase
6 to 6.5
Prehnite
6 to 6.5

Pyrite
Rutile
Diopside
Rhodonite

6 to 6.5
6 to 6.5
5.5 to 6.5
5.5 to 6.5

It can be scratched with steel file.

Arsenopyrite
Augite
Chromite
Hematite

5.5 to 6
5.5 to 6
5.5 to 6
5.5 to 6.5

It can be scratched easily with steel

file and knife blade but difficult with
glass.
It can be scratched with knife blade
but difficult with glass.

Nepheline
Sodalite
Magnetite
Enstatite
Hornblende
Ilmenite
Nephrite
Turquoise
Uraninite
Monazite
Titanite
Apatite
Wollastonite
Kyanite

5.5 to 6
5.5 to 6
5 to 6.5
5 to 6
5 to 6
5 to 6
5 to 6
5 to 6
5 to 6
5 to 5.5
5 to 5.5
5
4.5 to 5.5
4.5 to 5 or 7

Fluorite
Magnesite
Pyrrhotite
Siderite
Azurite
Chalcopyrite
Cuprite
Dolomite
Malachite
Rhodochrosite
Sphalerite
Serpentine
Anhydrite

4
3.5 to 5
3.5 to 4.5
3.5 to 4.5
3.5 to 4
3.5 to 4
3.5 to 4
3.5 to 4
3.5 to 4
3.5 to 4
3.5 to 4
3 to 5
3 to 3.5

It can be scratched easily with steel

file and knife blade but difficult with
glass.
It can be scratched with knife blade
but difficult with glass.

It can be scratched with glass but

easier with knife blade.

It can be scratched with knife blade

and glass.

It can be scratched with glass.

It is an anisotropic mineral when
scratched in one direction, it exhibits
a hardness of 4 to 5. When struck
from the perpendicular direction, it
exhibits a hardness of 6 to 7, the
anisotropism is so weak that it
cannot be determined.

It can be scratched with nail but

easier with glass.

It can be scratched with nail.

Witherite
Bornite
Calcite
Barite

3 to 3.5
3 to 3.25
3
2.5 to 3.5

Biotite
Chalcocite
Copper
Gold
Silver
Galena
Muscovite
Chlorite
Cinnabar
Halite
Glauconite
Sylvite
Sulfur
Gypsum
Limonite
Bauxite
Graphite
Molybdenite
Pyrophyllite
Talc

2.5 to 3
2.5 to 3
2.5 to 3
2.5 to 3
2.5 to 3
2.5 to 2.75
2 to 3
2 to 2.5
2 to 2.5
2 to 2.5
2
2
1.5 to 2.5
1.5 to 2
1 to 5
1 to 3
1 to 2
1 to 2
1 to 2
1

It can be scratched with copper but

easier with nail.
It can be scratched with copper.
Difficult to be scratched with
fingernail and copper but easier with
nail.

It can be scratched with fingernail

and easier with copper.

It can be scratched easily with

fingernail.

It can be scratched with fingernail

but not as easy as with copper.

It can be scratched easily with

fingernail.

REFERENCES:

http://geology.com/minerals/mohs-hardness-scale.shtml
http://www.d.umn.edu/prc/MMEW/2012%20MMEW%20PPTs/Mineral%20ID
%20Small.pdf
http://www.minerals.net/resource/property/hardness.aspx
http://geology.com/minerals/kyanite.shtml
http://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/chrysoberyl/chrysoberyl-info.php