To the public and unfortunately too many jewelers hardness is the means by which gemstones are identified. An opal for example which is quite soft for a ringstone rapidly becomes covered with fine scratches in daily use and the polish is quickly lost. The mohs hardness scale starts with talc at 1 being the softest mineral and ending with diamond at 10 being the hardest mineral. Mohs hardness scale for gemstones. A ruby on the other hand will remain bright.
Gems over 6 are considered hard and thus suitable for jewelry. The higher the number the harder the mineral. The hardest gemstones diamonds rubies and sapphires get a rating closer to 10 on the mohs scale while the softer gemstones amber chrysocolla and pearl are placed closer to 1 see the entire mohs index below. Hardness in a gemstone will determine the degree to which it will show wear. Hardness is the resistance a gemstone or other material offers to scratching or abrasion.
Gemstone hardness is a measure of how difficult or easy it is to scratch the surface of the gemstone. Actually the value of hardness to the gemologist is strictly limited. Gemstone hardness is a measure of how difficult or easy it is to scratch the surface of the gemstone. Gems over 6 are considered hard and thus suitable for jewelry. To the public and unfortunately too many jewelers hardness is the means by which gemstones are identified.