What is the most durable gemstone?
Many people would answer "diamond", since it is the hardest of all the gemstone materials. But there is more to durability than just hardness. For example, diamond has perfect cleavage, meaning it can be split with a single blow. Corundum (ruby and sapphire), while not quite as hard as diamond, has no cleavage, a property it shares with spinel. Some other gems which are quite hard, such as emerald, typically have internal fractures which are filled by oiling, and thus require special care. For more information see our article on Gemstone Hardness and Durability.
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