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How hard is silicon carbide compared with diamond?

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A periodic table element square for silicon shows atomic number 14, symbol Si, atomic weight range, electron configuration, and name. Icons indicate it is a solid nonmetal with diamond crystal structure and equal relative strength. Labels explain each property. — silicon Chemical properties of the element silicon.

Silicon carbide is an exceptionally hard synthetic compound, but it is not as hard as diamond. While diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth, with a rating of 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, silicon carbide has a Mohs hardness rating of 9.12

Because its hardness approaches that of diamond, silicon carbide was historically used as an important industrial abrasive for polishing gems, often serving as a cost-effective alternative to natural diamond dust.1