Mohs Scale of Hardness

The Mohs Scale of Hardness measures how resistant minerals are to scratching. It ranks minerals from 1 to 10, with talc at the softest (1) and diamond at the hardest (10). The scale helps identify minerals by testing whether one mineral can scratch another. A mineral can scratch those below it on the scale but can be scratched by those above. This tool is useful in geology and gemology for identifying and comparing mineral properties without damage. Essentially, it’s a simple way to understand the relative hardness of different minerals based on their ability to resist scratching.