Despite their similar appearance at first glance, there are many differences between
garnets and
rubies. Rubies rank at 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness, just below diamonds at a 10 (the hardest substance on the scale). In comparison, garnets sit at 6.5 to 7.5, making them a much softer stone by comparison. Rubies typically have a much deeper red hue, while garnets can throw shades of orange as well. Finally, holding up the stones to the light can give you some handy hints. If the light reflects a rainbow of colors with bands of green and yellow, you've got a garnet on your hands. In contrast, a ruby absorbs yellow and green, thus it won't reflect them back to you.