Mohs Hardness Scale

The Mohs ScaleThe Mohs scale was developed in 1812 by Friedrich Mohs. It has begee a valuable aid to identifying minerals ever since. Here are the ten standard minerals in the Mohs scale.TalcGypsumCalciteFluoriteApatiteFeldsparQuartzTopazCorundumDiamondYou use the Mohs scale by testing your unknown mineral against one of these standard minerals. Whichever one scratches the other is harder, and if both scratch each other they are both the same hardness.There are a few gemon objects that also fit in the Mohs scale. A fingernail is 2, a penny is just under 3, a knife blade is 5, glass is 5, and a good steel file is 6.Hope this helps you with your gemstone identification.