Toughness vs Hardness?

Hardness, as defined by the GIA, is: "Gemstone Hardness = resistance to scratches and abrasions"

which for example, diamonds are ranked as a 10 on the Mohs Hardness scale and it will scratch anything that's rated under 10. For example sapphire and ruby(9) will be scratched by a diamond if abrased by it, and sapphires and rubies will scratch itself and anything softer, such as a topaz (8), quartz(7) or, Jade(6-7).

Toughness, as defined by the GIA, is: Gemstone Toughness = resistance to breaking and chipping

About toughness: For example, a leather shoe, is soft and can be scratched easily with just a fingernail, but it is very tough, so it stands up to years of wear. On the other hand, glass is very hard, but can easily shatter when you drop them on the cement floor.

Jadeite has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Hardness is scratch resistance, which means jadeite cannot be easily scratched except with those which have higher hardness. For instance, diamond has a hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale, it’s the hardest stone in the world. But jade has good toughness. That’s why jade was used to make tools and weapons.

Jade has exceptional toughness which resists chips, nicks, cracks, and breakage. So it can be carved into very detailed work without breaking or cracking it. Please see the below carvings.

Natural deep green/ blue Zhong Kui (The demon hunter) Necklace. 

Here is a chart of the MOHS scale for all gemstones below. 

## Learn More: Jade & jadeite & nephrite 

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