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| Mohs hardness scale: | ||
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A scale developed by Friedrich Mohs to determine the relative hardness of minerals and other objects. The scale assigns the numbers 1 to 10 to specific minerals, softest to hardest respectively, using a scratch test. For reference, the average fingernail has a Mohs hardness of about 2.5, while the average knife rates a hardness of 5.5. Diamonds rate a 10. See also: Diamond Education, Gemstone Education. |
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