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One of the differences between stones is their degree of hardness. The Mohs scale classifies stones from 1-10 with 1 being the softest and 10 being the hardest. In general we do not use gemstones softer than 3 as jewelry as they become worn under even the normal wear and tear. Even the 3-4 gemstones should be worn with care and we do not usually make bracelets from these stones.
| Hardness | Characteristics | Stones |
| 1 | Can be scratched easily with fingernail | Soapstone, Talc, Sulphur |
| 2 | Can be scratched with fingernail | Gypsum, Rock salt, |
| 3 | Can be scratched with a coin | Calcite, Amber, Jet, Pearl, Coral |
| 4 | Can be scratched easily with knife | Fluorite, Rhodochrosite |
| 5 | Can be scratched with a knife | Obsidian , Turquoise, Opal |
| 6 | Can be scratched with a steel file | Feldspar, Lapis Lazuli |
| 7 | Can scratch glass and softer stones | Quartz (Agate, Amethyst, Aventurine, Jasper), Jade |
| 8 | Can scratch glass and quartz | Topaz, Aquamarine |
| 9 | Can scratch topaz and glass, and can itself be scratched only by diamond | Corundum (Sapphire, Ruby) |
| 10 | Cannot itself be scratched, but can scratch all other gemstones | Diamond |
Copyright 2005-2013 Healing Treasures from the Heart - All rights reserved
Updated May 23 2013