Marble Mohs Hardness

Among the harder natural stone countertop materials on the mohs scale are granite and gemstone which each rank at an 8 on the scale.

Marble mohs hardness.

On the mohs hardness scale marble is at number 3. This means that marble is less scratch resistant than granite. Created in 1812 by german geologist and mineralogist friedrich mohs it is one of several definitions of hardness in materials science some of which are more quantitative. As a result marble is easy to carve and that makes it useful for producing sculptures and ornamental objects.

Being composed of calcite marble has a hardness of three on the mohs hardness scale. A knife will do virtually nothing to a stone this hard while the mineral itself can scratch glass and weaker stones and only be scatched itself by something harder. Granite comes in at a 6 to 7 on the mohs scale meaning it is relatively hard. What is mohs hardness scale.

A fingernail is too soft to scratch marble but a copper penny can easily scratch this material. Calcite the mineral group including marble and limestone rates a 3 on mohs hardness scale just slightly harder than alabaster. Slightly softer than granite and gemstone quartzite quartz and onyx each rank at a 7 on the mohs scale. Depending on the limestone and the mineral combination within the marble most marble rates from three to five on the mohs hardness scale.

An example of the hardness of a granite countertop can be seen in the fact that a knife blade will not scratch the surface. Marble has a mohs hardness scale rating between 3 4. This test compares the resistance of a mineral to being scratched by ten reference minerals known as the mohs hardness scale see table at left. The translucence of marble makes it especially attractive for many types of sculptures.

It is a part of the calcite group which also includes limestone dolomite boric acid brass and serpentine. What is the hardness of shale on the. These countertops are the least susceptible to scratching and many other damages. Granite on the mohs scale granite is a blend of different minerals fused together by the tectonics of the earth making it difficult to determine the hardness of the material.

One of the most important tests for identifying mineral specimens is the mohs hardness test. Granites like the black granite that we work with rate between 6 and 7 on the mohs scale.