Ruby Vs Diamond Hardness

The higher the number the harder the mineral.

Ruby vs diamond hardness.

And as many people know diamond is the hardest gemstone. Diamond ranks a 10 on the mohs scale of hardness whereas ruby is a 9. Diamonds are the hardest gemstones and rubies are the second hardest ones. Which gem is better in terms of hardness between ruby vs diamond is a clear answer in this category.

Diamonds have steadily increased in value and show no signs of slowing. The mohs hardness scale starts with talc at 1 being the softest mineral and ending with diamond at 10 being the hardest mineral. Only a diamond can scratch a diamond. If you hit a diamond with a hammer it ll shatter into a dozen pieces.

Rubies have a hardness of 9 0 on the mohs scale of mineral hardness among the natural gems only moissanite and diamond are harder with diamond having a mohs hardness of 10 0 and moissanite falling somewhere in between corundum ruby and diamond in hardness. A gemstone s hardness is a good indicator of how well it will resist scratches and abrasions. The mohs scale is a not a linear scale. Instead it ranks gems on a relative scale based on their scratch hardness so although corundum ruby or sapphire is a 9 a diamond at 10 is many times harder.

It is universally used around the world as a way of distinguishing minerals. As an example diamond 10 is about 4 5 times harder than corundum 9 which is about 2 times harder than topaz 8. The mohs scale of mineral hardness m oʊ z is a qualitative ordinal scale characterizing scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of harder material to scratch softer material. However there s an old saying among gemologists.

However this doesn t mean that the ruby is not. Sapphire ruby and pure corundum are α alumina the most stable form of al 2 o 3 in which 3 electrons leave each aluminium ion to. On the mohs scale of hardness the diamond ranks a 10 while the ruby ranks 9. Ruby is among the second hardest gemstones.

Hardness indicates how resistant a gemstone is to scratches. Created in 1812 by german geologist and mineralogist friedrich mohs it is one of several definitions of hardness in materials science some of which are more quantitative. So if you are looking for a durable piece of jewelry that resists better to scratching then the diamond is the right one for you. The pricing of diamonds can range anywhere from 1 000 to 40 000 per carat depending on clarity cut and color.