Hardness is a term used to describe the a gemstone’s resistance to being scratched. A Diamond is the hardest substance on earth. However, different gemstone species vary in their hardness. We use the Moh’s scale to grade a gemstone’s hardness. The scale ranges from 1 to 10, 10 being the hardest, and 1 being the softest. 

Moh’s hardness scale: 

10 – Hardest possible. Will not scratch or break. Example: Diamond

9 – May scratch, but requires effort. Breakage is unlikely. Examples: Ruby, Sapphire

8 – May scratch, but requires effort. Breakage is possible with extreme effort. Examples: Tourmaline, Aquamarine, Blue Topaz, Garnet

7 – May scratch when worn consistently. Breakage is possible with effort. Examples: Amethyst, Citrine

6 – May scratch when worn consistently. Breakage is possible with some effort. Example: Tanzanite

5 – May scratch when worn consistently. Breakage is likely with effort. Example: Apatite, Fire Opal

4, 3, 2 & 1 – May break or scratch easily. Wear with caution. (We don’t sell gemstones with a softness of 4 or lower)