Can every single gem break?

Question

Can every single gem break?

Answer 1

Yes, a diamond is the hardest gem, and even those can be broken.

Answer 2

Anything can break, gems included.

However, I'd just like to point out that 'hardness' has nothing to do with how difficult it is to break a material. Therefore, even though diamond is the hardest material known to man, it is far from being the most difficult to shatter or break. The measure of "difficulty to break" is generally known as 'toughness'.

In case you're wondering, hardness is the ability to scratch or be scratched by other materials. The hardest material (diamond) can scratch any other material, but can itself only be scratched by another diamond.

Answer 3

diamonds are very hard but can break with a single well-placed blow.

Answer 4

Call me batman is quite correct.

Don't confuse hardness (resistance to abrasion or scratching) with toughness (resistance to shattering), or malleability (ability to deform without shattering).

Most gems are composed of non-metallic covalent bonds arranged in a three dimensional lattice; which gives them their hardness.  But they can still be shattered, if subject to enough force.  Hit a diamond with a hammer, and it will shatter.

Other non-metallic minerals are arranged in a sheet-like bonding structure, and can be quite soft, but difficult to shatter.  Mica can easily be split into thin sheets (which can be used in place of glass, if clear and large enough).  But hit a mica sheet with a hammer, and it can be quite resistant; merely cleaving into thinner and thinner sheets.

A naturally occurring metal such as gold can be very soft, but almost impossible to shatter.  All that happens if you hit it is that it deforms.  It is said to be 'malleable' (can be beaten into a thin sheet without shattering) and 'ductile' (it can be drawn into a fine wire).

Precious gemstones are usually very hard (their crystal structure also gives them their attractive gem-like lustre), and relatively tough; but they can still be shattered.  Some old-time prospectors didn't know the difference between hardness and toughness.  They assumed that diamonds, being made of  the hardest substance could not be shattered, so tested anything they suspected of being a diamond, by hitting it with a hammer.  Needless to say, they never found any diamonds!