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
Black Diamond	10	BULLISH
Pink Diamond	10	VERY BULLISH
Yellow Diamond	10	VERY BULLISH
Brown Diamond	10	MODERATELY BULLISH
Green Diamond	10	VERY BULLISH
Blue Diamond	10	VERY BULLISH

Very Hard (8.5-9.99)

Gem Type	Mohs Hardness	Investment Ranking Tier
Synthetic Moissanite	9.25	VERY BEARISH
Ruby	9	VERY BULLISH
Sapphire	9	BULLISH
Padparadscha Sapphire	9	BULLISH
Star Sapphire	9	MODERATELY BULLISH
Star Ruby	9	MODERATELY BULLISH
Color Change Sapphire	9	BULLISH
Synthetic Sapphire	9	VERY BEARISH
Synthetic Ruby	9	VERY BEARISH
Synthetic Emerald	9	VERY BEARISH
Alexandrite	8.5	VERY BULLISH
Cat's Eye Chrysoberyl	8.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Chrysoberyl	8.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Rhodizite	8.5	MODERATELY BULLISH

Hard-2 (8.0-8.49)

Gem Type	Mohs Hardness	Investment Ranking Tier
Musgravite	8-8.5	VERY BULLISH
Taaffeite	8-8.5	VERY BULLISH
Emerald	8	VERY BULLISH
Painite	8	VERY BULLISH
Red Spinel	8	VERY BULLISH
Blue Spinel	8	BULLISH
Imperial Topaz	8	BULLISH
Pink Spinel	8	MODERATELY BULLISH
Pink Topaz	8	MODERATELY BULLISH
Aquamarine	8	NEUTRAL
Morganite	8	BEARISH
Heliodor	8	BEARISH
Goshenite	8	BEARISH
Green Beryl	8	BEARISH
Burmese Spinel	8	BULLISH
Tanzanian Spinel	8	BULLISH
Vietnamese Purple Spinel	8	BULLISH
Topaz	8	VERY BEARISH
Spinel	8	MODERATELY BULLISH
Mahenge Spinel	8	BULLISH
Pezzottaite	8	VERY BULLISH
Blue Topaz	8	BEARISH
Opaque Emerald	8	MODERATELY BULLISH
Beryl	8	MODERATELY BULLISH

Hard-1 (7.5-7.99)

Gem Type	Mohs Hardness	Investment Ranking Tier
Bixbite	7.5–8	BULLISH
Phenakite	7.5-8	BULLISH
Grandidierite	7.5	BULLISH
Andalusite	7.5	NEUTRAL
Euclase	7.5	BULLISH
Sapphirine	7.5	BULLISH
Hambergite	7.5	MODERATELY BULLISH

Medium-2 (7.0-7.49)

Gem Type	Mohs Hardness	Investment Ranking Tier
Paraiba Tourmaline	7-7.5	VERY BULLISH
Tsavorite	7-7.5	BULLISH
Rubellite	7-7.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Indicolite	7-7.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Watermelon Tourmaline	7-7.5	NEUTRAL
Rhodolite	7-7.5	BEARISH
Almandine	7-7.5	VERY BEARISH
Pyrope	7-7.5	BEARISH
Spessartite	7-7.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Grossular	7-7.5	BEARISH
Uvarovite	7-7.5	NEUTRAL
Mali Garnet	7-7.5	NEUTRAL
Color-Change Garnet	7-7.5	BULLISH
Iolite	7-7.5	BEARISH
Verdelite	7-7.5	NEUTRAL
Tourmaline	7-7.5	VERY BEARISH
Danburite	7-7.5	BEARISH
Malaya Garnet	7-7.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Achroite	7-7.5	BEARISH
Elbaite	7-7.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Chrome Tourmaline	7-7.5	BEARISH
Color Change Garnet	7-7.5	BULLISH
Jeremejevite	6.5-7.5	BULLISH
Andradite	6.5-7.5	NEUTRAL
Amethyst	7	VERY BEARISH
Citrine	7	VERY BEARISH
Rose Quartz	7	VERY BEARISH
Smoky Quartz	7	VERY BEARISH
Ametrine	7	NEUTRAL
Prasiolite	7	BEARISH
Milky Quartz	7	VERY BEARISH
Rock Crystal	7	VERY BEARISH
Rutilated Quartz	7	BEARISH
Tourmalinated Quartz	7	BEARISH
Aventurine	7	VERY BEARISH
Tiger's Eye	7	VERY BEARISH
Hawk's Eye	7	BEARISH
Chalcedony	7	VERY BEARISH
Agate	7	VERY BEARISH
Carnelian	7	VERY BEARISH
Chrysoprase	7	NEUTRAL
Onyx	7	VERY BEARISH
Sardonyx	7	VERY BEARISH
Bloodstone	7	VERY BEARISH
Jasper	7	VERY BEARISH
Zircon	6.5-7.5	BEARISH
Quartz	7	VERY BEARISH
Garnet	6.5-7.5	VERY BEARISH
Sillimanite	6.5-7.5	BEARISH
Hessonite	6.5-7.5	BEARISH

Medium-1 (6-6.99)

Gem Type	Mohs Hardness	Investment Ranking Tier
Serendibite	6.5-7	BULLISH
Demantoid	6.5-7	BULLISH
Clinohumite	6.5-7	BULLISH
Hiddenite	6.5-7	NEUTRAL
Diaspore	6.5-7	NEUTRAL
Kunzite	6.5-7	NEUTRAL
Peridot	6.5-7	BEARISH
Kornerupine	6.5-7	MODERATELY BULLISH
Jadeite	6.5-7	BULLISH
Spodumene	6.5-7	BEARISH
Pollucite	6.5-7	NEUTRAL
Axinite	6.5-7	NEUTRAL
Hydrogrossular	6.5-7	BEARISH
Sinhalite	6.5-7	NEUTRAL
Fire Agate	6.5-7	BEARISH
Tanzanite	6-7	BULLISH
Cassiterite	6-7	BEARISH
Vesuvianite	6.5	BEARISH
Epidote	6-7	BEARISH
Zoisite	6-7	BEARISH
Idocrase	6.5	BEARISH
Mawsitsit	6-7	BEARISH
Benitoite	6-6.5	BULLISH
Moonstone	6-6.5	BEARISH
Labradorite	6-6.5	BEARISH
Sunstone	6-6.5	BEARISH
Amazonite	6-6.5	VERY BEARISH
Orthoclase	6-6.5	BEARISH
Andesine	6-6.5	BEARISH
Oligoclase	6-6.5	BEARISH
Nephrite	6-6.5	BEARISH
Prehnite	6-6.5	VERY BEARISH
Tantalite	6-6.5	NEUTRAL
Feldspar	6-6.5	VERY BEARISH
Bytownite	6-6.5	BEARISH
Petalite	6-6.5	BEARISH
Albite	6-6.5	BEARISH
Chondrodite	6-6.5	NEUTRAL
Black Opal	5.5-6.5	VERY BULLISH
Fire Opal	5.5-6.5	NEUTRAL
Crystal Opal	5.5-6.5	NEUTRAL
Boulder Opal	5.5-6.5	NEUTRAL
White Opal	5.5-6.5	BEARISH
Jelly Opal	5.5-6.5	BEARISH
Hyalite	5.5-6.5	BEARISH
Peruvian Opal	5.5-6.5	BEARISH
Sugilite	5.5-6.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Rhodonite	5.5-6.5	VERY BEARISH
Opal	5.5-6.5	NEUTRAL
Hematite	5.5-6.5	VERY BEARISH

Soft (3-5.99)

Gem Type	Mohs Hardness	Investment Ranking Tier
Sodalite	5.5-6	VERY BEARISH
Scapolite	5.5-6	BEARISH
Diopside	5.5-6	BEARISH
Hackmanite	5.5-6	NEUTRAL
Hauyne	5.5-6	BULLISH
Opaque Hauyne	5.5-6	MODERATELY BULLISH
Amblygonite	5.5-6	BEARISH
Vayrynenite	5.5	BULLISH
Afghanite	5.5	BULLISH
Charoite	5-6	MODERATELY BULLISH
Lapis Lazuli	5-6	BEARISH
Turquoise	5-6	BEARISH
Enstatite	5-6	BEARISH
Hypersthene	5-6	BEARISH
Brazilianite	5.5	NEUTRAL
Moldavite	5-6	MODERATELY BULLISH
Triplite	5-6	BEARISH
Pargasite	5-6	BEARISH
Sphene	5-5.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Chrome Sphene	5-5.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Herderite	5-5.5	NEUTRAL
Stibiotantalite	5-5.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Apatite	5	BEARISH
Poudretteite	5	VERY BULLISH
Dioptase	5	NEUTRAL
Larimar	4.5-5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Scheelite	4.5-5	BEARISH
Hemimorphite	4.5-5	BEARISH
Xenotime	4-5	NEUTRAL
Parisite	4.5	NEUTRAL
Bastnasite	4-4.5	BEARISH
Smithsonite	4-4.5	BEARISH
Rhodochrosite	3.5-4.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Fluorite	4	VERY BEARISH
Serpentine	2.5-5.5	VERY BEARISH
Sphalerite	3.5-4	MODERATELY BULLISH
Malachite	3.5-4	VERY BEARISH
Azurite	3.5-4	BEARISH
Aragonite	3.5-4	VERY BEARISH
Cuprite	3.5-4	NEUTRAL
Cerussite	3-3.5	NEUTRAL
Phosphophyllite	3-3.5	MODERATELY BULLISH
Seraphinite	2-4	BEARISH
Calcite	3	VERY BEARISH

Very Soft (1-2.99)

Gem Type	Mohs Hardness	Investment Ranking Tier
Brucite	2.5-3	VERY BEARISH
Amber	2-2.5	BEARISH
Erythrite	1.5-2.5	BEARISH
Ammolite	1-3	VERY BEARISH
Lepidolite	1-3	VERY BEARISH
Kyanite	4-7 (variable)	BEARISH