Stone Hardness Scale Granite

Reviewing this guide can help you keep in mind what the mohs scale of hardness is and how it can be applied to evaluate different countertop options.

Stone hardness scale granite. For instance if a stone has a mohs hardness of seven then that stone is solid enough to scratch another stone with a rating of six or lower. The igneous rock is comprised of mostly quartz and feldspar along with smaller amounts of various other minerals. When it comes to classifying a natural stone granite before making a purchase stone buyers like to focus on the relative granite hardness to know how hard a stone is in comparison with other natural stone products like marble sandstone slate limestone and quartzite. The mohs hardness scale is used to classify the hardness of a rock or mineral on a simple 1 to 10 scale with talc being the softest at 1 and diamond the hardest at 10.

According to moh s scale of mineral hardness granite is typically a 6 8 on the scale 1 is the softest and 10 is the hardest. For example if a given material is scratched by corundum but not by diamond its hardness on the mohs scale is 9 5. In terms of absolute hardness quartz is a 100 and topaz is 200 twice as hard. The hardness of stone is measured by mohs hardness as a unit of calculation mohs hardness in the 6 7 f 14 20 are hard stone such as quartzite and granite.

While the mohs hardness scale is certainly a worthwhile resource to provide a general guideline it does not provide all of the information for a natural stone slab. The mohs scale of mineral hardness was developed to identify the strength and hardness of any natural mineral. The mohs scale is truly a comparative scale. In addition whether you choose a harder stone like granite or gemstone or a softer stone like limestone or soapstone you can be prepared to be as cautious as you need to around the surface.

It will scratch the surface of white dolomite. Granite comes in at a 6 to 7 on the mohs scale meaning it is relatively hard. The measurement of hardness scale is a useful tool in quickly determining the hardness of minerals in the field. An example of the hardness of a granite countertop can be seen in the fact that a knife blade will not scratch the surface.

You can easily test the hardness of the stone with a glass tile. The mohs hardness scale only takes into consideration the strength of a single mass element or the purest form of each mineral. It also provides insight into the durability of the stones that we work with. Each natural stone has a strength rating often referred to as its mohs hardness.

The hardness of the stone informs whether it will be suitable to create curved cantilever or spiral staircases our own infographic shows where these stones fall in comparison to the other natural. Granite is a natural stone. For reference your fingernail is a 3 and a steel knife is a 7 on the. Mohs hardness in 1 2 f 2 6 are soft stone such as limestone and dolomite etc.