Diamond: especially well-suited for measurements on hard surfaces like ceramic or soft aluminum alloys. No deposits or wear when scanning.

Diamond coating: similar to a diamond stylus. Different diameters available and better roundness at less than 150 nm (grade 5).

Tungsten carbide: makes it possible to manufacture styli in special sizes, used primarily with disk styli.

Ceramic: used primarily for large diameters and disk styli to scan rough surfaces.

Ruby: the standard material for all applications. Possible to produce extremely small diameters starting at 0.12 mm.

Silicon nitride: similar to ruby, but less susceptible to material deposits.