Not all stones survive daily wear. The Mohs scale — a 1–10 hardness ranking — tells you which gems are tough and which are delicate.
The scale. Talc is 1 (softest), diamond 10 (hardest). Most jewelry stones land 6–9. Below 7, daily abrasion (dust is quartz, ~7) slowly dulls the surface.
Buying implications. For everyday rings and bracelets, favor harder stones (sapphire ~9, topaz ~8, CZ ~8). For earrings and occasional pendants, softer stones (pearl ~2.5, opal ~5.5) are fine — they aren’t rubbed daily.
Care tie-in. Softer stones need gentler cleaning (no ultrasonic). gentler, stone-specific cleaning routines covers handling. Match stone hardness to the product’s wear role, not just its color.
Where to source. Explore our bracelets category for ready-to-ship wholesale styles.
