Pet peeve ~
It really touches a nerve with me, when the terms “hardness” and “softness” are used to describe a metal’s malleability. When these terms are used by professionals in this way, it very misleading to the average consumer.
I understand these terms, “hardness” and “softness”, as the ability to withstand a scratch, or an abrasion, A diamond is 10 in hardness(Mohs) ~ turquoise is 5. Turquoise is more likely to scratch than a diamond, it is not as “hard”. In this context, hard is good, soft is bad.
Gold, be it 14k, 18k, or 22k, all scratch, which has very little to do with its workability or how it bends, the relationship to malleability is different.
Pure gold is a very dense metal, it is also very malleable, it bends relatively easy. The denser the metal, the more resistant it is to wear. By adding alloys to stiffen the metal, it becomes less dense. The more alloys added, the more difficult it becomes to bend and shape. 14k yellow is less bendable or workable, than 18k yellow, because it has more alloys added, but 14k also looses its density, making it less desirable for both setting (workability) and overall wearability.
To describe 18k as “soft”, to an average person, it will sound as if 18k is the less desirable metal than the “harder” 14k, when in fact it’s more dense and workable, just the opposite, it’s more desirable.
When I use these terms “hardness and softness” in conjunction with my metal working, I think of “work hardening” and annealing, (softening). One can work harden the metal making it more difficult to bend and decreasing its workability. An 18k bezel that has been rolled out very thin, or overly hammered, without proper annealing will be challenging to set a stone in. Proper care needs to be taken in setting up the bezel.
The reason why many will use 22k for their bezels; it’s much more difficult to work harden, it’s denser, and then, there is the color.
Tjones ~
