Text: Joanna Sobel, founder of Brazi7 min read · Brazi Druse Jewelry editorial team
The hardest mineral is diamond (10 on the Mohs scale), followed by corundum, meaning ruby and sapphire (9), and topaz (8), but for jewelry worn every day, a stone rated 7 or higher is enough because it does not scratch easily. The International Gem Society (IGS) states that household dust contains quartz particles, the reference mineral for rating 7, and that softer stones become dull from wiping. We use quartz (7) in our tiger’s eye ring for PLN 150, and corundum (9) in our ruby bracelet for PLN 195. We’ve selected five pieces like these, priced from PLN 150 to 350.
- The hardest minerals: diamond (10), corundum, meaning ruby and sapphire (9), and topaz (8). The scale from talc (1) to diamond (10) ranks minerals by what scratches what. Diamond and corundum are one degree apart on it, but measurements with a sclerometer show that diamond is almost 4 times harder.
- The threshold of 7: quartz has this rating, and its particles are found in household dust, so stones softer than 7 become dull from wiping.
- Impact is a separate matter: diamond and topaz can chip when struck hard, while emeralds often have fractures.
- Our pieces: quartz (7) in two rings, tourmaline (7–7.5) in a pendant, emerald (7.5–8) and ruby (9) in bracelets.
The hardest minerals: the Mohs scale from 1 to 10, reference minerals and household items
| Rating | Reference mineral | What at home has similar hardness | W jewelry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | talc | — | — |
| 2 | gypsum | fingernail (2–2.5), pure gold and silver (approx. 2.5) | amber (2–2.5), pearl (approx. 2.5) |
| 3 | calcite | copper (2.5–3) | — |
| 4 | fluorite | ordinary steel (4–4.5) | malachite (3.5–4) |
| 5 | apatite | glass (approx. 5.5, depending on type) | turquoise (5–6), lapis lazuli (5–6) |
| 6 | orthoclase | — | moonstone (6–6.5), hematite (approx. 6) |
| 7 | quartz | porcelain (approx. 7) | rock crystal, amethyst, citrine, tiger’s eye (approx. 7), tourmaline (7–7.5), garnet (6.5–7.5) |
| 8 | topaz | — | topaz (8), emerald (7.5–8) |
| 9 | corundum | — | ruby, sapphire |
| 10 | diamond | — | diamond |
A mineral with a higher rating scratches one with a lower rating, and nothing ranks higher than diamond on the Mohs scale. Don’t test this on your jewelry, because the scratch will remain.
Why the threshold is 7
When simply wiping them dry, tiny quartz particles in dust act like sandpaper and leave micro-scratches on stones softer than 7.
The ring and bracelet take the most wear because they rub against countertops, keyboards, and bags. The pendant and earrings mostly touch clothing.
Pure gold and silver rate about 2.5 on the Mohs scale. W jewelry, they are usually alloys, harder than the pure metal but still softer than stones rated 7 or higher, so the first scratches are more often visible on the clasp and spacers than on the stone.
Five stones rated 7 or higher for everyday wear
Corundum, 9: ruby bracelet on elastic, PLN 195
According to GIA, corundum, the mineral that ruby is made of, has excellent durability and no cleavage, so it stands up well to everyday wear.
The ruby bracelet features dark pink faceted beads, approx. 4 mm, on elastic, in silver or gold-plated silver; choose size S, M, or L using the bracelet size chart. Ruby will scratch softer stones, so keep this bracelet separate in your jewelry box.
Beryl, 7.5–8: emerald in a floral weave, PLN 350
W the Kwiatek Emerald bracelet for PLN 350, light green faceted beads, 2 and 3 mm in size, are woven into flowers. The bracelet has a 14 cm circumference, a 4 cm extender, and a clasp. Emerald resists scratches well, but according to GIA, it is less durable than ruby or sapphire and often has fractures, so take it off for heavier manual work. For a ring worn every day, it’s better to choose sapphire over emerald.
Tourmaline, 7–7.5: raw crystal pendant, PLN 188 with a 45 cm chain
A pendant is the lightest of the five, so it’s a good choice for a raw crystal. The black tourmaline necklace, which costs PLN 188 with a 45 cm chain, features a ribbed schorl crystal, or black tourmaline, set in gold-plated silver. You can also choose a longer chain on the product page, 63 or 83 cm. Wipe the setting with a dry cloth, away from water and perfume.
Quartz, 7: chunky tiger’s eye ring, PLN 150
The tiger’s eye ring is carved entirely from a single piece of stone: substantial and angular, with a wide, flat top and honey-brown bands. Tiger’s eye belongs to the quartz group and has a hardness of about 7. This ring is size 17, with a circumference of approx. 57 mm according to the ring size chart. Other sizes, from 12 to 17 (except 15), are separate pieces, each on its own product page.
Quartz, 7: rock crystal with a raw crown, 250 zł
The 250 zł rock crystal ring has a milky, substantial band, while the crown is left with transparent crystal points. It is carved from a single piece. This one is size 9, and you’ll find the other one, size 10, on a separate product page. Rock crystal is quartz, a stone right at the threshold of 7.
We describe the rock crystal with a gold-plated band at the base and rings carved entirely from agate in the article stone ring from 150 zł: 3 styles and how to find the right size.
Diamonds and topaz can chip on impact
The Mohs scale only measures scratch resistance. Durability against breaks and chips depends on toughness. According to GIA, a strong impact can split even a diamond because it breaks more easily in certain directions, while topaz (8) can split from an impact because of its cleavage. Jadeite and nephrite are the opposite: they aren’t among the hardest stones, but IGS describes them as very tough.
Quartz has no cleavage and breaks with a conchoidal fracture. On a rock crystal ring, the protruding points will still take the first knocks if they hit a stone countertop.
Stones below 7: wear, but remove them
Malachite, pearls, amber, turquoise, lapis lazuli, hematite, and moonstone should be removed before cleaning, gardening, and going to the gym. Store them separately in a compartment or pouch so harder stones don’t scratch them. W earrings and pendants, they’ll last longer than in rings.
Pearls can also be damaged by perfume and cosmetics, while cosmetics can damage turquoise (GIA). For safe cleaning of any stone, see our guide on how to clean natural stone jewelry.
Friedrich Mohs announced his scale in 1812. The intervals between its levels are not equal: in sclerometer measurements, quartz scores 100, topaz 200, corundum 400, and diamond 1,500.
You can also find your ring size at our boutique on Grzybowska Street in Warsaw.
Try it on in person
ul. Grzybowska 61, unit 5, 00-844 Warsaw - Platinum Towers Shopping Arcade, ground floor, opposite Browary Warszawskie, a few minutes from Fabryka Norblina; Wola district.
Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00 · Sat. 10:00-18:00 · Sun. closed. Parking is paid, but the first hour is free with purchases at the boutique.
Call: +48 575 666 195 - we’ll set aside your chosen item.
For your first purchases, enter code BRAZIBLOG10 to get 10% off.
How we checked. Search volumes are Google Ads data from DataForSEO: “Mohs scale” peaked in October 2025 (4,400 compared to an average of 2,400), and “hardest minerals” in March 2026 (2,400 compared to an average of 1,300). We list the hardness of stones on the Mohs scale based on GIA and gemdat.org (which also identifies tiger’s eye as a variety of quartz), dust and jadeite durability based on the International Gem Society, and fingernail hardness based on geology.com. The reference minerals, the year 1812, metals, steel, glass, porcelain, and absolute hardness measured with a sclerometer (the table in the English article “Mohs scale”) are based on Wikipedia. Prices and product descriptions come from brazi.pl product pages (as of October 30, 2026; prices were checked again before publication) and photos on those pages.