This set includes 8 Mohs' Hardness Points from Mohs' 2 through Mohs' 9, nicely mounted in nickel-plated Brass, color-coded, number-stamped, and double-ended Pin Vises, along with two Hardness Plates of Mohs' 3.5 and 5.5, a Streak Plate, a Magnet, and a 100x Sharpening Stone, enhanced by Instructions, Table of Minerals sorted by Mohs' Hardness, all neatly packaged in a compact, Wooden Case.
This set includes 8 Mohs' Hardness Points from Mohs' 2 through Mohs' 9, nicely mounted in nickel-plated Brass, color-coded, number-stamped, and double-ended Pin Vises, along with two Hardness Plates of Mohs' 3.5 and 5.5, a Streak Plate, a Magnet, and a 100x Sharpening Stone, enhanced by Instructions, Table of Minerals sorted by Mohs' Hardness, all neatly packaged in a compact, Wooden Case.
To perform a scratch test, select a numbered Hardness point, and try to scratch a flat, smooth surface of the mineral. For example, if the number 6 point scratches your mineral, but the number 5 point does not, then your mineral has a Mohs' Hardness value of about 5.5. This is an important mineral identifying criteria.
The Hardness Points are made of Metals and Alloys of equivalent Mohs' Hardness as the mineral standards, so the points will not break off, and they can easily be re-sharpened, and ultimately replaced after many years. This beautiful and thoroughly conceived tool is made for the opposite of "planned obsolescence".
This is a perfect tool for Rockhounds, Geologists, and Archaeologists, as well as for Schools as an educational tool.
IMPORTANT: For Industrial users, instead, we highly recommend our especially configured Mohs' Hardness Test Kit. Just search Amazon using that keyword string.
The Deluxe Hardness Pick Set is a tool for Mineral Identification, including a set of Hardness Points for performing a 'scratch test' on an unknown mineral to determine its Hardness under the Mohs scale. This deluxe kit includes two other mineral identification tests - a Streak Plate for determining an unknown mineral's inherent Color, and a Magnet for testing for minerals such as Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, and Nickel-Iron Meteorites. All of this comes packaged in a beautiful mahogany-finished Wooden Case (Note: This case is hand-made, so some imperfections can be expected). This tool is a lifetime keeper, and makes an excellent gift!