- Begin by locating a smooth, unscratched surface for testing.
- With one hand, hold the specimen of unknown hardness firmly against a table top so that the surface to be tested is exposed and accessible. The table top supports the specimen and helps you hold it motionless for the test. (If you are doing this test at a nice desk you may want to get a thick piece of cardboard, a thick rubber pad, or a sheet of some other material to protect the surface from being scratched.)
- Hold one of the standard hardness specimens in the other hand and place a point of that specimen against the selected flat surface of the unknown specimen.
- Firmly press the point of the standard specimen against the unknown specimen, and with firm pressure, drag the point of the standard specimen across the surface of the unknown specimen.
- Examine the surface of the unknown specimen. With a finger, brush away any mineral fragments or powder that was produced. Did the test produce a scratch? Be careful not to confuse mineral powder or residue with a scratch. A scratch will be a distinct groove cut in the mineral surface, not a mark on the surface that wipes away. Use a hand lens to get a good look at what happened.
- Conduct the test a second time to confirm your results.