Talc Talc Talc or talcum is a clay mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical formula HMg(SiO) or MgSiO(OH). In loose form, it is (in ratio with or without corn starch) one of the most widely used substances known as baby powder. It occurs as foliated to fibrous masses, and in an exceptionally rare crystal form. It has a perfect basal cleavage, and the folia are not elastic, although slightly flexible. The Mohs scale of mineral hardness, based on scratch hardness comparison, defines value 1 as the hardness of talc. Talc can easily be scratched by a fingernail. Talc
Ruby other rubies of similar quality. After color follows clarity: similar to diamonds, a clear stone will command a premium, but a ruby without any needle-like rutile inclusions may indicate that the stone has been treated. Ruby is the traditional birthstone for July and is usually more pink than garnet, although some rhodolite garnets have a similar pinkish hue to most rubies. The world's most valuable ruby is the Sunrise Ruby. Rubies have a hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Among the natural gems only moissanite and diamond are harder, with diamond having a Mohs hardness of