Gemstones charm us with their vibrant colors, lasting beauty, and strength, making them perfect for jewelry.
Beyond jewelry, these stones play crucial roles in various industries. Their hardness and durability are essential in electronics, optical applications, and more, driving global innovation.
Here are the seven strongest gemstones in the world:
1. Diamond
Diamonds are the hardest natural material, ranking 10 on the Mohs scale. They’re incredibly resistant to scratching, perfect for cutting tools and industrial uses. Formed deep within the Earth, diamonds have remarkable thermal conductivity.
Besides their practical uses, they’re treasured in jewelry for their brilliance and clarity. Their cultural significance as symbols of wealth and romance solidifies their status as the strongest gemstone.
2. Corundum
Corundum, which includes sapphires and rubies, ranks 9 on the Mohs scale, making it the second hardest gemstone. Its exceptional hardness ensures durability, and it is ideal for various types of jewelry.
Sapphires can come in many colors, while rubies are famous for their deep red hue. This gemstone is also used in industrial applications like watch bearings and optical components. Corundum’s vibrant colors and historical significance add to its appeal.
3. Moissanite
Moissanite, discovered in a meteor crater, scores 9.25 on the Mohs scale. Its hardness makes it a durable alternative to diamond jewelry, especially engagement rings.
Moissanite is known for its exceptional brilliance and fire, often displaying more colorful flashes than diamonds. It also has high thermal conductivity, useful in some industrial applications. Its rarity, durability, and optical properties make moissanite highly sought after.
4. Chrysoberyl (including Alexandrite)
Chrysoberyl, with an 8.5 hardness, is known for unique properties like the cat’s eye effect and color-changing alexandrite. Alexandrite changes from green in daylight to red under incandescent light, adding to its mystique.
Chrysoberyl’s toughness makes it great for all types of jewelry. The rarity of alexandrite makes it highly desirable among collectors. Its unique optical properties and durability make chrysoberyl a standout gemstone.
5. Topaz
Topaz, ranking 8 on the Mohs scale, comes in many colors, from clear and blue to yellow and pink. Its hardness makes it scratch-resistant, but it can split with rough handling. Often treated to enhance its color, topaz is versatile for jewelry.
Historically significant, it’s also used as a protective stone in various cultures. Topaz combines durability, beauty, and cultural value, making it a notable strong gemstone.
6. Spinel
Spinel, with a hardness of 8, is durable and vibrant, often mistaken for ruby or sapphire. It comes in colors like red, blue, pink, and black, each valued for its clarity and brilliance. Spinels are perfect gemstones for daily wear in jewelry.
Historically, it’s been confused with more famous gemstones, adding to its intrigue. Spinel’s strength, beauty, and rich history make it a distinguished gemstone.
7. Aquamarine
Aquamarine, a type of beryl, scores 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, making it relatively hard and durable. Known for its beautiful blue to blue-green color, it’s used in various jewelry pieces. Its hardness ensures it can withstand daily wear, though it’s softer than diamonds and corundum.
Aquamarine is also valued for its clarity and often comes in large, flawless crystals. Its serene color, durability, and association with the sea contribute to its popularity.
Related: Discovering the Rarest Gemstones in the World
What are the Factors Affecting Gemstone Strength?
These are the factors contributing to gemstone strength:
Hardness
Hardness, measured on the Mohs scale from 1 to 10, indicates how well a gemstone resists scratching and wear. Gemstones with higher hardness, like diamonds and corundum (sapphires and rubies), are more durable and ideal for everyday jewelry.
Toughness
Toughness assesses a gemstone’s ability to withstand impact and resist breaking or chipping. Gemstones with high toughness, such as jade and chrysoberyl, are ideal for jewelry subject to rough wear.
Cleavage
Cleavage refers to a gemstone’s tendency to break along specific planes due to its crystal structure. Gemstones with distinct cleavage, like mica and calcite, require careful handling during cutting and setting.
Stability
Stability measures how well a gemstone withstands exposure to chemicals, heat, and light. Some gemstones, like opals, are sensitive to environmental changes that can affect their appearance and durability.
Enhancements
Enhancements such as treatments and coatings can alter a gemstone’s natural properties, affecting its strength and durability in jewelry. While treatments like heat treatment and coatings can enhance appearance, they may also impact long-term stability.
Mohs Scale of Hardness
The Mohs Scale of Hardness is a tool used to measure how resistant minerals and gemstones are to scratching. It ranks them from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest), showing which minerals can scratch others. This scale is vital for gemstones because it determines their durability and how well they can be used in jewelry and other industries.
For example, diamonds, at the top with a hardness of 10, are prized for their scratch resistance, making them perfect for everyday jewelry. Knowing a gemstone’s hardness helps jewelers handle and set stones without causing damage.
Real-World Applications of the Strongest Gemstones Beyond Jewelry
These applications highlight how gemstones’ unique properties extend beyond jewelry:
Industrial Cutting and Drilling Tools
Diamonds are essential in industrial tools like drill bits and saw blades used for cutting tough materials such as concrete, rock, and metals. Their hardness ensures efficient and precise cutting in construction and mining, contributing to the creation of durable structures and resource extraction.
Scientific and Medical Instruments
In medicine, diamonds are used in surgical instruments, particularly in delicate surgeries like eye surgery. Diamond scalpels offer surgeons sharpness and durability, minimizing tissue damage and promoting faster healing. These instruments advance medical technology by enhancing surgical precision and patient outcomes.
Optical Applications
Gemstones like sapphire are used in optical applications due to their clarity, hardness, and scratch resistance. They are integral in producing high-quality lenses and windows for scientific instruments, cameras, and aerospace equipment. Sapphire’s optical properties ensure minimal distortion and excellent light transmission, crucial for precise optical systems.
High-Performance Electronics
Synthetic rubies are employed in high-performance electronics as substrates for manufacturing integrated circuits. They provide excellent electrical insulation, thermal conductivity, and stability under extreme conditions, enhancing the reliability and durability of electronic components. Synthetic rubies play a vital role in advancing electronics in industries from telecommunications to aerospace.
Abrasive Applications
Gemstones such as garnet and corundum serve as abrasives in manufacturing processes for cutting, grinding, and polishing metals and ceramics. Their hardness and durability ensure precise shaping and finishing of products, maintaining high-quality surface finishes and dimensional accuracy across various industries.
FAQs on the Strongest Gemstones
What gem is stronger than a diamond?
There are no natural gemstones harder than diamonds, which rank 10 on the Mohs scale. Some man-made materials like cubic boron nitride are engineered for industrial purposes and can be harder than diamonds, but they are not considered gemstones.
What gem is unbreakable?
No gemstone is completely unbreakable, as all minerals can fracture under extreme conditions. However, diamond is exceptionally tough due to its strong atomic structure, making it highly resistant to breaking or chipping under normal circumstances.
What is the rarest gemstone?
Red diamonds are widely regarded as the rarest gemstones in the world. They are extremely scarce in nature, with only a few significant specimens known to exist. Their rarity and vibrant color make them highly prized by collectors and jewelers.
Is jade harder than a diamond?
No, jade is not harder than diamond. Jade ranks 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, while diamond is a perfect 10. Despite its toughness and durability, jade is much softer than diamond and can be easily scratched by it.
What is the softest gem?
Talc is the softest mineral, with a score of 1 on the Mohs scale. It is so soft that it can be scratched with a fingernail. Although talc is not commonly used in jewelry due to its softness, it has various industrial applications, such as in talcum powder.
What stone is prettier than a diamond?
Beauty is subjective, but certain gemstones are known for their exceptional colors and brilliance that can surpass diamonds in attractiveness. Examples include vivid blue or pink diamonds, which are highly valued for their intense and captivating hues.
Learn About Gemstone Strength with Willyn Villarica Jewelry
Gemstones are more than just beautiful rocks—they’re prized for their durability and strength. The seven strongest gemstones we’ve shared play crucial roles in industries and cultural traditions worldwide.
If you want to know more about the strongest gemstones, look no further than Willyn Villarica Jewelry. We offer gemstone identification services to help you understand the unique qualities and strengths of each gem.
Our in-house expert, Ms. Willyn Villarica, leads our dedicated team and is highly esteemed by both the Gemological Institute of America and the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers. Take note that while we offer our services worldwide, clients are responsible for covering all travel expenses.
To learn more, book an appointment now or contact us at willynvillarica@willynvillaricajewelry.com. You can also message us through our Facebook (Willyn Villarica Jewelry) or Instagram (@willynvillarica_jewelry) accounts.