Gems by Hardness (Mohs Scale)
Explore gemstones organized by their hardness on the Mohs scale
The Mohs scale of mineral hardness measures resistance to scratching, ranging from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest).
Extremely Hard (10)
| Gem Type | Mohs Hardness | Investment Ranking Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond | 10 | MODERATELY BULLISH |
Very Hard (8.5-9.99)
| Gem Type | Mohs Hardness | Investment Ranking Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby | 9 | VERY BULLISH |
| Sapphire | 9 | BULLISH |
| Pink Sapphire | 9 | BEARISH |
| Yellow Sapphire | 9 | BEARISH |
| Padparadscha Sapphire | 9 | BULLISH |
| Alexandrite | 8.5 | VERY BULLISH |
| Yellow Chrysoberyl | 8.5 | BEARISH |
Hard-2 (8.0-8.49)
| Gem Type | Mohs Hardness | Investment Ranking Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Taaffeite | 8-8.5 | VERY BULLISH |
| Musgravite | 8-8.5 | VERY BULLISH |
| Emerald | 8 | VERY BULLISH |
| Aquamarine | 8 | NEUTRAL |
| Morganite | 8 | NEUTRAL |
| Heliodor | 8 | BEARISH |
| Goshenite | 8 | VERY BEARISH |
| Red Spinel | 8 | VERY BULLISH |
| Blue Spinel | 8 | BULLISH |
| Pink Spinel | 8 | MODERATELY BULLISH |
| Imperial Topaz | 8 | BULLISH |
| Blue Topaz | 8 | VERY BEARISH |
| Pink Topaz | 8 | MODERATELY BULLISH |
| Yellow Topaz | 8 | BEARISH |
| White Topaz | 8 | VERY BEARISH |
| Painite | 8 | VERY BULLISH |
Hard-1 (7.5-7.99)
| Gem Type | Mohs Hardness | Investment Ranking Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Bixbite | 7.5–8 | BULLISH |
| Blue Zircon | 7.5 | BEARISH |
| Yellow Zircon | 7.5 | BEARISH |
| White Zircon | 7.5 | BEARISH |
| Hyacinth | 7.5 | BEARISH |
| Andalusite | 7.5 | NEUTRAL |
| Grandidierite | 7.5 | BULLISH |
Medium-2 (7.0-7.49)
| Gem Type | Mohs Hardness | Investment Ranking Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Pyrope | 7-7.5 | BEARISH |
| Almandine | 7-7.5 | VERY BEARISH |
| Spessartine | 7-7.5 | BEARISH |
| Grossular | 7-7.5 | BEARISH |
| Tsavorite | 7-7.5 | BULLISH |
| Hessonite | 7-7.5 | BEARISH |
| Rubellite | 7-7.5 | MODERATELY BULLISH |
| Indicolite | 7-7.5 | MODERATELY BULLISH |
| Verdelite | 7-7.5 | BEARISH |
| Paraiba Tourmaline | 7-7.5 | VERY BULLISH |
| Watermelon Tourmaline | 7-7.5 | NEUTRAL |
| Black Tourmaline | 7-7.5 | VERY BEARISH |
| Iolite | 7-7.5 | BEARISH |
| Staurolite | 7-7.5 | BEARISH |
| Rhodolite | 7-7.5 | BEARISH |
| Danburite | 7-7.5 | NEUTRAL |
| Andradite | 6.5-7.5 | NEUTRAL |
| Amethyst | 7 | VERY BEARISH |
| Citrine | 7 | BEARISH |
| Rose Quartz | 7 | VERY BEARISH |
| Smoky Quartz | 7 | VERY BEARISH |
| Ametrine | 7 | BEARISH |
| Prasiolite | 7 | BEARISH |
| Sillimanite | 6.5-7.5 | BEARISH |
Medium-1 (6-6.99)
| Gem Type | Mohs Hardness | Investment Ranking Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Demantoid | 6.5-7 | BULLISH |
| Peridot | 6.5-7 | BEARISH |
| Kunzite | 6.5-7 | NEUTRAL |
| Hiddenite | 6.5-7 | NEUTRAL |
| Axinite | 6.5-7 | BEARISH |
| Serendibite | 6.5-7 | BULLISH |
| Clinohumite | 6.5-7 | BULLISH |
| Diaspore | 6.5-7 | NEUTRAL |
| Chondrodite | 6.5-7 | VERY BEARISH |
| Tanzanite | 6-7 | BULLISH |
| Thulite | 6-7 | Unknown |
| Anyolite | 6-7 | VERY BEARISH |
| Epidote | 6-7 | BEARISH |
| Moonstone | 6-6.5 | BEARISH |
| Sunstone | 6-6.5 | BEARISH |
| Labradorite | 6-6.5 | Unknown |
| Amazonite | 6-6.5 | Unknown |
| Benitoite | 6-6.5 | BULLISH |
| Andesine | 6-6.5 | BEARISH |
| Orthoclase | 6 | BEARISH |
| Rhodonite | 5.5-6.5 | VERY BEARISH |
Soft (3-5.99)
| Gem Type | Mohs Hardness | Investment Ranking Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Sodalite | 5.5-6 | VERY BEARISH |
| Blue Kyanite | 4.5-7 | VERY BEARISH |
| Orange Kyanite | 4.5-7 | BEARISH |
| Vayrynenite | 5.5 | BULLISH |
| Afghanite | 5.5 | BULLISH |
| Sphene (Titanite) | 5-5.5 | MODERATELY BULLISH |
| Blue Apatite | 5 | VERY BEARISH |
| Green Apatite | 5 | VERY BEARISH |
| Yellow Apatite | 5 | VERY BEARISH |
| Bastnasite | 4-4.5 | BEARISH |
| Purple Fluorite | 4 | VERY BEARISH |
| Green Fluorite | 4 | VERY BEARISH |
| Blue Fluorite | 4 | VERY BEARISH |
| Rainbow Fluorite | 4 | VERY BEARISH |
| Fluorite | 4 | VERY BEARISH |
| Rhodochrosite | 3.5-4 | NEUTRAL |
| Sphalerite | 3.5-4 | MODERATELY BULLISH |
| Calcite | 3 | VERY BEARISH |