Mohs Hardness
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Definition
A relative scale from 1 to 10 that measures a mineral's resistance to scratching, where each higher number can scratch all minerals below it.
Detailed Explanation
Developed by Friedrich Mohs in 1812, the scale uses reference minerals: talc (1), gypsum (2), calcite (3), fluorite (4), apatite (5), feldspar (6), quartz (7), topaz (8), corundum (9), and diamond (10). The scale is ordinal, not linear — diamond is approximately four times harder than corundum in absolute terms. For jewelry use, stones below Mohs 7 are vulnerable to scratching from everyday dust (which contains quartz particles), making hardness a practical consideration for setting selection.