Good Price Portable Handy Kit Mohs Hardness Test - Complete Mineral Identification Set 1-10 Mineral for Testing & Plate for Streaking Buy Now!

Mohs Hardness from 1 to 10. It includes:

1, Talc
2, Gypsum
3, Calcite
4, Fluorite
5, Apatite
6, Feldspar
7, Quartz
8, Topaz
9, Corundum
9.5. Synthetic Silicon Carbide

Here is a general guide to how mineral samples work:

Mohs Hardness Scale (Reference Material)

The scale ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the hardest (diamond). Mineral samples corresponding to the steps on the scale:

• 1–3: Talc, gypsum, calcite
• 4–5: Fluorite, apatite
• 6–7: Feldspar, quartz
• 8–10: Topaz, corundum (sapphire/ruby) and 9.5. Synthetic Silicon Carbide

How the test is done

• You choose a hardness mineral and try to scratch it..
• If the stone is scratched: The stone is softer than the mineral.
• If the stone is NOT scratched: The stone is as hard or harder than the mineral.

Benefits and uses

• Fast and direct indication: Provides immediate answers in the field.
• Distinguishes fakes from genuine: Perfect for, for example, distinguishing genuine harder stones (such as sapphire with a hardness of 9) from softer imitations (such as glass with a hardness of 5-6).

Important limitations and risks

• Risk of injury: The method is destructive because it causes a permanent (albeit often small) scratch.
• Brittle stones: A hard stone can be brittle and risk cracking if you press too hard.
• Crystal direction: Some stones have different hardnesses depending on which crystal axis you are testing (e.g. kyanite which varies between 4 and 7).
• Safety margin: You should always start with a pencil with a lower hardness than you suspect the stone has to avoid damaging it unnecessarily.

Streak Test

Streak Test: Rub the mineral hard against an unglazed piece of porcelain (such as the back of a broken ceramic tile or an electrical plug). This reveals the mineral's true color in powder form, which is often different from the stone's outer color. For example, the black mineral hematite produces a reddish-brown streak.