Moh's Scale of Hardness
From one to ten based on a series of 10 minerals, each of which will scratch the one before it
Samples. Source: Wikipedia
Talc, the softest; used for dusting punctures
And so-delicate baby bums, then
Gypsum, scratched by calcite, scored by fluorite,
Which defers to apatite,
[Called in Greek deceit for basely
Simulating others.]
The next one up is orthoclase
[Gk: a fracture of the true].
It submits to quartz's tips
Incised by topaz gem which then
Corundum dominates.
And ultimate and at the top,
The shining adamantine prize:
The boss: diamond, rough, untouched
And cut by none except by kin.
So do we just score and scratch
Until we find an equal – then we
Finely grind and pulverize each other down.
Clive Donovan
