Frederick Mohs, in the early 1800s, developed a chart known as the Mohs Scale that is used until this day.
With a rating of 1, being the softest, and 10, being the hardest, the original Mohs Scale consisted of the following minerals used in jewelry: Talc, Gypsum, Calcite, Fluorite, Apatite, Feldspar, Quartz, Topaz, Corundum (ruby and sapphire) and Diamond.
Since then, there have been other minerals that are used in jewelry and so here is a list with their relative hardness: Pearl (2.5), Gold (2.5 to 3), Coral (3-4), Platinum (4 to 4.5), Opal (5.5), Lapis (5-6), Turquoise (5-6), Glass (6-7), Periodot (6.5-7), Garnet (7 to 7.5) and Emerald (7.5-8)
But one might wonder: How is this information important to people who use jewelry?
In one sense, knowing this scale helps you to understand which jewelry is brittle and which one is strong. That way you'll know which one to handle with care and which ones not to worry about.
When you are storing jewelry, make sure that you take the relative hardness, as indicated by the Mohs Scale, into consideration. For example, sapphire any other jewelry whose hardness is below 9 on the Mohs Scale, and so they must be stored seperately.
This should also tells you that pearls, with a rating of 2.5, should be handled with care and can undergo wear and tear if used every other day.
If you are planning to buy jewelry that will be used everyday, then using diamonds is an excellent choice as it has a rating of 10 along with the ruby and sapphire which have a rating of 9.
Of course, hardness isn't the only factor to consider when buying jewelry but a general understanding of the Mohs Scale will help you understand what kind of jewelry to purchase.
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