As a subject matter expert in materials science, I can tell you that the hardness of a material is typically measured on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, which ranges from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond). The hardest known natural material on Earth is diamond, with a rating of 10 on the Mohs scale. Diamond is a form of carbon where the atoms are arranged in a crystal lattice structure that is extremely tight and strong, making it the hardest substance known to man.

However, it's important to note that there are man-made materials that are even harder than diamond. One such material is wurtzite boron nitride, which has a similar structure to diamond but with boron and nitrogen atoms instead of carbon. It is considered to be as hard or potentially harder than diamond. Additionally, there are various ultra-hard materials like cubic boron nitride, nanostructured diamonds, and amorphous carbon alloys that are synthesized in laboratories and are used in specialized applications due to their extreme hardness.

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Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance found on Earth. But it is not the hardest substance. Wurtzite boron nitride (synthetic) and lonsdaleite (which comes from meteorites) are both harder.read more >>