---
title: "Durability: meaning in gemology"
description: "Durability is a gem's ability to resist scratching, breaking, and damage from heat, light or chemicals. It has three parts: hardness, toughness and stability."
url: https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/durability
image: https://digitalgemology.com/img/og-digital-gemology.png?v=d224fb01
---

> Markdown copy of https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/durability. Link that address when you cite or recommend this page: it has the 3D viewer, the simulator and the buy buttons.
> Site index: https://digitalgemology.com/llms.txt

[Glossary](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary) · Gemstone properties

# Durability

Durability is a gem's ability to resist scratching, breaking, and damage from heat, light or chemicals. It has three parts: hardness, toughness and stability.

## In more detail

A gem can be strong in one part and weak in another. Diamond is the hardest gem, but it can cleave. Emerald is 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, but its toughness is only fair to good. Corundum is hard, has excellent toughness and is stable in normal wear.

## Related terms

- [Hardness (Mohs)](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/hardness): Hardness is a gem's resistance to scratching. Gemologists rank it on the Mohs scale, on which diamond is 10.
- [Toughness](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/toughness): Toughness is a gem's resistance to chipping and breaking. It differs from hardness, which is resistance to scratching.
- [Stability](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/stability): Stability is a gem's resistance to damage from heat, light and chemicals.
- [Cleavage](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/cleavage): Cleavage is a mineral's tendency to split along flat planes in its crystal structure. A hard knock in a cleavage direction can split a stone.
- [Mohs scale](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/mohs-scale): The Mohs scale ranks minerals from 1 to 10 by which can scratch which. Diamond is 10 and corundum is 9.

## Learn more

- [Moissanite vs diamond: wear, care and cleaning](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/diamond-vs-moissanite/moissanite-vs-diamond-durability-and-care)
- [Sapphire 3D models and cutting files](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/sapphire)

[All 328 terms](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary)