From: James 18/05/2000 15:16:00 Subject: Gold Density - and hammers ;-) post id: 71275 Hi, I'm looking at buying a gold wedding ring. The jeweler told me that if he had makes a 18ct ring it will wear longer than a pre-fab one. His reasoning is that the hand-hammering makes it tougher and more wear resistant. Could this be true? I would think that gold is gold and hammering it wont make it denser or wear longer. Both rings are 18ct gold. He also said 18ct wears longer than 9ct too. From: Cd 18/05/2000 15:27:00 Subject: re: Gold Density - and hammers ;-) post id: 71278 Most metals "work-harden" when deformed. The plastic deformation of the metal while hammering. The metal atoms slip along planes within the crystals. Misplaced atoms during the deformation act as locks, pins or pegs which make it harder for the metal to deform more. The actual density doesn't change much, but the hardness can change a lot. Very dependent on the metal / alloy composition. Small additions of copper in aluminium make it Duralumin - very tough. This forum is un-moderated. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individual poster and not the ABC. The ABC reserves the right to remove offensive or inappropriate messages.