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Brinell hardness

The so-called Brinell hardness provides information about the stability of precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum. The Brinell hardness is named after the Swedish engineer Johan August Brinell and was first presented at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900. Alternatively, the hardness of precious metals is also indicated using the method developed by Friedrich Mohs, the Mohs hardness .

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The Birth of Brinell Hardness

The method for measuring Brinell hardness was developed by the Swedish engineer Johan August Brinell (1849-1925). In the 19th century, he discovered a new method that can be used to determine the hardness of materials.

For this purpose, a hard metal ball is pressed vertically into the surface of the material to be tested. Based on the diameter of the remaining impression in relation to the diameter of the hard metal ball, the Brinell hardness of the material being tested can then be calculated.
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The Brinell hardness of precious metals

Pure gold has a relatively low Brinell hardness of 0.245 (Mohs hardness: 2.5) and is therefore too soft to be used in jewelry. For greater stability, it is usually alloyed with silver and copper. The highest quality alloys are those with a fineness of 75%. High-quality white gold gets its silvery shine from the addition of palladium. The reddish shimmer of red gold and rose gold comes from a higher copper content.

With a Brinell hardness of 0.392 (Mohs hardness: 3.5), platinum is stronger than gold. The platinum alloy commonly used in jewelry therefore has a relatively high fineness of 95%.

Precious Metals in the Lexicon

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