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Rocks & Minerals with a Mohs Hardness of 5

On the Mohs scale, hardness 5 is defined by apatite. The 62 rocks and minerals below fall at or within the 5 to 6 band, so they scratch anything softer on this page and are scratched by anything harder.

Field test: It is about as hard as window glass: a knife barely marks it, while a steel file (Mohs 6.5) will.

Hardness is a range for many species, so an entry listed here may also appear at the neighboring level.

Also browse:Mohs 1Mohs 2Mohs 3Mohs 4Mohs 6Mohs 7Mohs 8Mohs 9Mohs 10

All hardness 5 minerals (62)

Opal specimen: white and black gemstoneOpalMohs 5.5 · White streakObsidian specimen: black and brown igneous rockObsidianMohs 5.5 · White streakLapis Lazuli specimen: deep blue and blue mineralLapis LazuliMohs 5.5 · Light blue streakMoldavite specimen: forest green and olive green gemstoneMoldaviteMohs 5.5 · White streakRainbow Obsidian specimen: black with rainbow sheen and purple igneous rockRainbow ObsidianMohs 5.5 · White streakOpalite specimen: milky white and blue materialOpaliteMohs 5.5 · White to colorless streakKyanite specimen: blue and green mineralKyaniteMohs 5 · White streakSodalite specimen: blue and blue with white veins mineralSodaliteMohs 5.5 · White streakGoldstone specimen: copper and brown materialGoldstoneMohs 5.5 · White to colorless streakBlue Goldstone specimen: dark blue and navy materialBlue GoldstoneMohs 5.5 · White to colorless streakCherry Quartz specimen: pink and red materialCherry QuartzMohs 5.5 · White to colorless streakSlag Glass specimen: blue and green materialSlag GlassMohs 5.5 · White to colorless streakGlass specimen: green and brown materialGlassMohs 5.5 · White to colorless streakAmphibolite specimen: black and dark green metamorphic rockAmphiboliteMohs 5.5 · Variable; usually pale gray to white streakBlueschist specimen: blue and blue gray metamorphic rockBlueschistMohs 5.5 · Variable; usually pale gray streakSkarn specimen: green and brown metamorphic rockSkarnMohs 5.5 · Variable by mineral content streakMylonite specimen: gray and black metamorphic rockMyloniteMohs 5.5 · Variable by mineral content streakActinolite specimen: green and dark green mineralActinoliteMohs 5–6 · White streakAnalcime specimen: colorless and white mineralAnalcimeMohs 5–5.5 · White streakAndesite specimen: gray and dark gray igneous rockAndesiteMohs 5–6 · Dull groundmass with vitreous phenocrystsApatite specimen: green and blue mineralApatiteMohs 5 · White streakApophyllite specimen: colorless and white mineralApophylliteMohs 4.5–5 · White streakArsenopyrite specimen: silver-white and steel-gray mineralArsenopyriteMohs 5.5–6 · Dark grayish black streakAugite specimen: black and dark green mineralAugiteMohs 5.5–6 · Grayish green to colorless streakBanded Iron Formation specimen: red and reddish brown sedimentary rockBanded Iron FormationMohs 5–7 · Reddish brown (from hematite-rich layers) streakChabazite specimen: white and colorless mineralChabaziteMohs 4–5 · White streakCharoite specimen: lilac and purple mineralCharoiteMohs 5–6 · White streakChromite specimen: black and brownish black mineralChromiteMohs 5.5 · Dark brown to black streakCobaltite specimen: silvery white with pink/reddish tint and steel gray mineralCobaltiteMohs 5.5 · Grayish black streakConglomerate specimen: variegated and gray sedimentary rockConglomerateMohs 3–7 · Variable; dull matrix to vitreous clastsDatolite specimen: colorless and white mineralDatoliteMohs 5–5.5 · White streakDiopside specimen: light to dark green and white mineralDiopsideMohs 5.5–6.5 · White streakDioptase specimen: emerald green and bluish green mineralDioptaseMohs 5 · Green streakEudialyte specimen: red and pink mineralEudialyteMohs 5–5.5 · White streakFranklinite specimen: black and brownish black mineralFrankliniteMohs 5.5–6.5 · Reddish brown to black streakGabbro specimen: dark gray and black igneous rockGabbroMohs 5–6.5 · Dull to vitreous (in crystals)Goethite specimen: brown and yellowish brown mineralGoethiteMohs 5–5.5 · Yellowish brown streakHauyne specimen: blue and sky blue mineralHauyneMohs 5.5–6 · Pale blue streakHeliodor specimen: mineralHeliodorMohs 5 · White to light-colored streakHemimorphite specimen: white and colorless mineralHemimorphiteMohs 4.5–5 · White streakHornblende specimen: black and dark green mineralHornblendeMohs 5–6 · Pale gray to colorless streakIlmenite specimen: black and iron-black mineralIlmeniteMohs 5.5 · Black to brownish red streakJade specimen: mineralJadeMohs 5 · White to light-colored streakKimberlite specimen: blue-gray ('blue ground') and yellow ('yellow ground', weathered) igneous rockKimberliteMohs 5–6.5 · Dull to vitreousLazulite specimen: blue and sky blue mineralLazuliteMohs 5.75 · White streakLazurite specimen: blue and deep blue mineralLazuriteMohs 5.25 · Light blue streakLeucite specimen: white and gray mineralLeuciteMohs 5.75 · White streakMagnetite specimen: black and iron-black mineralMagnetiteMohs 5.5–6.5 · Black streakMigmatite specimen: pink and black and light and dark layered metamorphic rockMigmatiteMohs 5–7 · Vitreous to dull (banded)Natrolite specimen: colorless and white mineralNatroliteMohs 5.5 · White streakPeridotite specimen: green and dark green igneous rockPeridotiteMohs 5.5–7 · Vitreous (olivine and pyroxene grains)Porphyry specimen: purple and red igneous rockPorphyryMohs 5–7 · Dull to vitreousPumice specimen: white and light gray igneous rockPumiceMohs 5–6 · Dull to glassyRhyolite specimen: pink and gray igneous rockRhyoliteMohs 5.5–7 · Dull to vitreous (glassy groundmass)Schist specimen: silver-gray and golden (mica-rich) metamorphic rockSchistMohs 2.5–7 · Vitreous to silky/glittery (mica-rich)Scoria specimen: dark red and black igneous rockScoriaMohs 5–6 · Dull, glassySnowflake Obsidian specimen: black and black and white igneous rockSnowflake ObsidianMohs 5.5 · White streakStainless Steel specimen: silver and gray metalStainless SteelMohs 5.5 · Gray to silver-gray streakSyenite specimen: gray and pink igneous rockSyeniteMohs 5.5–6.5 · Vitreous (feldspar crystals)Titanite specimen: green and yellow mineralTitaniteMohs 5.5 · White streakTremolite specimen: white and gray mineralTremoliteMohs 5.5 · White streakTuff specimen: light gray and tan igneous rockTuffMohs 2–5 · Dull to earthy; glassy shards may show vitreous luster

Frequently asked questions

What common minerals have a hardness of 5?

Opal, Obsidian, Lapis Lazuli, Moldavite, and Rainbow Obsidian all sit at Mohs 5.

What scratches a mineral with hardness 5?

Anything harder on the Mohs scale: orthoclase feldspar (hardness 6) and above. It is about as hard as window glass: a knife barely marks it, while a steel file (Mohs 6.5) will.

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