The hardest mineral is diamond. Diamond ranks at the top of the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, with a value of 10, meaning it can scratch all other minerals and is not scratched by any other natural mineral

. This exceptional hardness is due to the strong covalent bonding between its carbon atoms, arranged in a crystal lattice structure

. Diamond is also recognized as the hardest mineral by other hardness tests, such as the Vickers hardness test