I am doing research work on gemstones, so what does "soft minerals" mean? And, what are those soft minerals?

Question

I am doing research work on gemstones, so what does "soft minerals" mean? And, what are those soft minerals?

:-)

Answer 1

A mineral's hardness is based on the Moh's Hardness Scale.

Below is a link to a chart:

http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/science/...

EDIT:  An emerald has a hardness of 8.5 on the Mohs Scale.  That is considered hard.  The Mohs Hardness Scale goes from one through ten.

Answer 2

I don't know what qualifies a soft minerals but I know that an emerald is one.  Whereas a diamond is a hard mineral.

Answer 3

There is no exact definition of soft minerals. As you know minerals are graded by Moes Hardness Scale from 1 to 10. The first three are totally useless as gemstones although very soft stones are sometimes cut for collectors who keep them in cotton wool. 4 to 6 on the scale are soft stones in gemmological terms which means that they only really usable as pendants or broaches which are only subjected to the lightest of wear. 7 and up are regarded as hard and can be safely used in rings although 7 needs to be worn with care and not as an every day ring as the stone will scratch after a time. 8 to 10 are hard stones and can be worn with impunity although in some cases cleavage can cause damage in the hardest of stones (diamond included) Zircons are a particular problem as they, although hard, are very brittle and the facet edges tend to rub badly with even normal use.

Hope that helps a little and good luck with your research.