🔷 Gems by Facetability
Gems grouped by brittleness/facetability
Excellent Facetability
| Gem | Hardness | Mineral Group |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond | 10 | Carbon |
| Black Diamond | 10 | Carbon |
| Pink Diamond | 10 | Carbon |
| Yellow Diamond | 10 | Carbon |
| Brown Diamond | 10 | Carbon |
| Green Diamond | 10 | Carbon |
| Blue Diamond | 10 | Carbon |
| Ruby | 9 | Corundum Group |
| Sapphire | 9 | Corundum Group |
| Synthetic Sapphire | 9 | Synthetic |
| Synthetic Ruby | 9 | Synthetic |
| Alexandrite | 8.5 | Chrysoberyl Group |
| Chrysoberyl | 8.5 | Chrysoberyl Group |
| Taaffeite | 8-8.5 | Spinel Group |
| Red Spinel | 8 | Spinel Group |
| Blue Spinel | 8 | Spinel Group |
| Pink Spinel | 8 | Spinel Group |
| Burmese Spinel | 8 | Spinel Group |
| Tanzanian Spinel | 8 | Spinel Group |
| Vietnamese Purple Spinel | 8 | Spinel Group |
| Spinel | 8 | Spinel Group |
| Mahenge Spinel | 8 | Spinel Group |
Some directional weakness
| Gem | Hardness | Mineral Group |
|---|---|---|
| Phenakite | 7.5-8 | Beryllium Group |
| Paraiba Tourmaline | 7-7.5 | Tourmaline Group |
| Tsavorite | 7-7.5 | Garnet Group |
| Rubellite | 7-7.5 | Tourmaline Group |
| Indicolite | 7-7.5 | Tourmaline Group |
| Watermelon Tourmaline | 7-7.5 | Tourmaline Group |
| Rhodolite | 7-7.5 | Garnet Group |
| Almandine | 7-7.5 | Garnet Group |
| Pyrope | 7-7.5 | Garnet Group |
| Spessartite | 7-7.5 | Garnet Group |
| Grossular | 7-7.5 | Garnet Group |
| Uvarovite | 7-7.5 | Garnet Group |
| Mali Garnet | 7-7.5 | Garnet Group |
| Color-Change Garnet | 7-7.5 | Garnet Group |
| Verdelite | 7-7.5 | Tourmaline Group |
| Tourmaline | 7-7.5 | Tourmaline Group |
| Malaya Garnet | 7-7.5 | Garnet Group |
| Achroite | 7-7.5 | Tourmaline Group |
| Elbaite | 7-7.5 | Tourmaline Group |
| Andradite | 6.5-7.5 | Garnet Group |
| Amethyst | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Citrine | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Rose Quartz | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Smoky Quartz | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Ametrine | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Prasiolite | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Milky Quartz | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Rock Crystal | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Rutilated Quartz | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Tourmalinated Quartz | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Zircon | 6.5-7.5 | Zircon Group |
| Quartz | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Garnet | 6.5-7.5 | Garnet Group |
| Demantoid | 6.5-7 | Garnet Group |
| Clinohumite | 6.5-7 | Humite Group |
| Chondrodite | 6-6.5 | Humite Group |
Orientation critical
| Gem | Hardness | Mineral Group |
|---|---|---|
| Padparadscha Sapphire | 9 | Corundum Group |
| Synthetic Emerald | 9 | Synthetic |
| Musgravite | 8-8.5 | Spinel Group |
| Emerald | 8 | Beryl Group |
| Painite | 8 | Borate Group |
| Imperial Topaz | 8 | Topaz Group |
| Pink Topaz | 8 | Topaz Group |
| Aquamarine | 8 | Beryl Group |
| Morganite | 8 | Beryl Group |
| Heliodor | 8 | Beryl Group |
| Goshenite | 8 | Beryl Group |
| Green Beryl | 8 | Beryl Group |
| Topaz | 8 | Topaz Group |
| Pezzottaite | 8 | Beryl Group |
| Blue Topaz | 8 | Topaz Group |
| Opaque Emerald | 8 | Beryl Group |
| Beryl | 8 | Beryl Group |
| Bixbite | 7.5–8 | Beryl Group |
| Grandidierite | 7.5 | Borosilicate Group |
| Andalusite | 7.5 | Andalusite Group |
| Euclase | 7.5 | Beryllium Group |
| Iolite | 7-7.5 | Cordierite Group |
| Jeremejevite | 6.5-7.5 | Borosilicate Group |
| Sillimanite | 6.5-7.5 | Silicate Group |
| Serendibite | 6.5-7 | Borosilicate Group |
| Hiddenite | 6.5-7 | Spodumene Group |
| Diaspore | 6.5-7 | Oxide Group |
| Kunzite | 6.5-7 | Spodumene Group |
| Peridot | 6.5-7 | Olivine Group |
| Spodumene | 6.5-7 | Spodumene Group |
| Tanzanite | 6-7 | Zoisite Group |
| Zoisite | 6-7 | Zoisite Group |
| Kyanite | 4-7 (variable) | Kyanite Group |
Fragile during setting
| Gem | Hardness | Mineral Group |
|---|---|---|
| Hambergite | 7.5 | Borate Group |
| Danburite | 7-7.5 | Danburite Group |
| Kornerupine | 6.5-7 | Kornerupine Group |
| Axinite | 6.5-7 | Borosilicate Group |
| Vesuvianite | 6.5 | Sorosilicate Group |
| Epidote | 6-7 | Sorosilicate Group |
| Idocrase | 6.5 | Sorosilicate Group |
| Benitoite | 6-6.5 | Cyclosilicate Group |
| Moonstone | 6-6.5 | Feldspar Group |
| Labradorite | 6-6.5 | Feldspar Group |
| Sunstone | 6-6.5 | Feldspar Group |
| Amazonite | 6-6.5 | Feldspar Group |
| Orthoclase | 6-6.5 | Feldspar Group |
| Andesine | 6-6.5 | Feldspar Group |
| Oligoclase | 6-6.5 | Feldspar Group |
| Prehnite | 6-6.5 | Phyllosilicate Group |
| Feldspar | 6-6.5 | Feldspar Group |
| Bytownite | 6-6.5 | Feldspar Group |
| Petalite | 6-6.5 | Phyllosilicate Group |
| Albite | 6-6.5 | Feldspar Group |
| Sodalite | 5.5-6 | Feldspathoid Group |
| Scapolite | 5.5-6 | Scapolite Group |
| Diopside | 5.5-6 | Pyroxene Group |
| Hackmanite | 5.5-6 | Sodalite Group |
| Hauyne | 5.5-6 | Sodalite Group |
| Opaque Hauyne | 5.5-6 | Sodalite Group |
| Amblygonite | 5.5-6 | Phosphate Group |
| Vayrynenite | 5.5 | Phosphate Group |
| Afghanite | 5.5 | Cancrinite Group |
| Enstatite | 5-6 | Pyroxene Group |
| Hypersthene | 5-6 | Pyroxene Group |
| Brazilianite | 5.5 | Phosphate Group |
| Pargasite | 5-6 | Amphibole Group |
| Apatite | 5 | Phosphate Group |
Extreme cleavage
| Gem | Hardness | Mineral Group |
|---|---|---|
| Sapphirine | 7.5 | Sapphirine Group |
| Pollucite | 6.5-7 | Zeolite Group |
| Cassiterite | 6-7 | Oxide Group |
| Tantalite | 6-6.5 | Tantalite Group |
| Triplite | 5-6 | Triphalosilicate Group |
| Sphene | 5-5.5 | Titanite Group |
| Chrome Sphene | 5-5.5 | Titanite Group |
| Herderite | 5-5.5 | Phosphate Group |
| Stibiotantalite | 5-5.5 | Tantalate Group |
| Poudretteite | 5 | Osumilite Group |
| Dioptase | 5 | Cyclosilicate Group |
| Scheelite | 4.5-5 | Tungstate Group |
| Xenotime | 4-5 | Phosphate Group |
| Parisite | 4.5 | Rare Earth Carbonate Group |
| Bastnasite | 4-4.5 | Carbonate Group |
| Smithsonite | 4-4.5 | Carbonate Group |
| Rhodochrosite | 3.5-4.5 | Carbonate Group |
| Fluorite | 4 | Halide Group |
| Sphalerite | 3.5-4 | Sulfide Group |
| Malachite | 3.5-4 | Carbonate Group |
| Azurite | 3.5-4 | Carbonate Group |
| Aragonite | 3.5-4 | Carbonate Group |
| Cuprite | 3.5-4 | Oxide Group |
| Cerussite | 3-3.5 | Carbonate Group |
| Phosphophyllite | 3-3.5 | Phosphate Group |
| Calcite | 3 | Carbonate Group |
| Erythrite | 1.5-2.5 | Arsenate Group |
Cabochon Preferred
| Gem | Hardness | Mineral Group |
|---|---|---|
| Star Sapphire | 9 | Corundum Group |
| Star Ruby | 9 | Corundum Group |
| Cat's Eye Chrysoberyl | 8.5 | Chrysoberyl Group |
| Aventurine | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Tiger's Eye | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Hawk's Eye | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Chalcedony | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Agate | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Carnelian | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Chrysoprase | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Onyx | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Sardonyx | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Bloodstone | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Jasper | 7 | Quartz Group |
| Jadeite | 6.5-7 | Pyroxene Group |
| Nephrite | 6-6.5 | Amphibole Group |
| Black Opal | 5.5-6.5 | Opal Group |
| Fire Opal | 5.5-6.5 | Opal Group |
| Crystal Opal | 5.5-6.5 | Opal Group |
| Boulder Opal | 5.5-6.5 | Opal Group |
| White Opal | 5.5-6.5 | Opal Group |
| Jelly Opal | 5.5-6.5 | Opal Group |
| Hyalite | 5.5-6.5 | Opal Group |
| Peruvian Opal | 5.5-6.5 | Opal Group |
| Sugilite | 5.5-6.5 | Sugilite Group |
| Rhodonite | 5.5-6.5 | Pyroxenoid Group |
| Opal | 5.5-6.5 | Opal Group |
| Hematite | 5.5-6.5 | Oxide Group |
| Charoite | 5-6 | Charoite Group |
| Lapis Lazuli | 5-6 | Lazurite Group |
| Turquoise | 5-6 | Phosphate Group |
| Moldavite | 5-6 | Tektite Group |
| Larimar | 4.5-5 | Pectolite Group |
| Serpentine | 2.5-5.5 | Serpentine Group |
| Seraphinite | 2-4 | Clinochlore Group |
| Ammolite | 1-3 | Other Organic Minerals |
| Lepidolite | 1-3 | Other Organic Minerals |