“Apple’s patent application is for a method that allows them to make 18k gold that has, on a volume basis, less gold than regular 18k gold,” Dr. Drang blogs.
“How can this be? It’s because Apple’s gold is a metal matrix composite, not a standard alloy,” Dr. Drang explains. “Instead of mixing the gold with silver, copper, or other metals to make it harder, Apple is mixing it with low-density ceramic particles. The ceramic makes Apple’s gold harder and more scratch-resistant—which Tim Cook touted during the September announcement—and it also makes it less dense overall.”
“The karat measure of gold is based on the mass fraction. One hundred grams of 18k gold has 75 grams of gold and 25 grams of other material. If that ‘other material’ is a low-density ceramic, it takes up a bigger volume than if it’s a high-density metal. Because the casing of a watch is made to a particular size (i.e. volume), not to a particular weight, the Apple Watch will have less gold in it than an 18k case made of a conventional alloy,” Dr. Drang explains. “The patent makes it clear that saving gold is one of the goals of the process.”
More info and a bunch of math in the full article here.
Related articles:
Apple may buy 746 tons of gold per year for its Apple Watches – March 7, 2015
“Sold by weight, not by volume.” How many times have I seen that on a bag of chips, or box of cookies? 😀
Only in this case sold by volume, and not by weight. It is a good thing too, because if they sell as many as the projections currently show, if it had been by weight, Apple might well use up nearly a third of world annual gold production. It will be bad enough as it is. Who would have guessed that Apple could cause market disruption in not just music and phones but even the gold market?
But “carat” is calculated by weight. Even though the volume is larger, the carat rating is still 18. 😀
What’s the big deal. Gold watches aren
t valued by their gold content., e.g., Rolex President contains less than 2 Troy ounces (watch and band) of 18 kt gold (by any measure).
Two Troy ounces of 24 kt gold is worth about US$2,400. Yet the President sells for US$20,000.
This is another, in a long list of articles, wherein the author is doing nothing but marketing his/her name.
Frankly, if I were to buy a “gold” watch, I’d opt for harder and less vs more and softer.
that’s what she said 🙂
Cap’n Crunch is pure gold.
Crunchberrries is my fav
That’s pretty cool. So the metallic content is actually “pure” gold, though with less gold overall. This method will probably make recovery of gold from the case easier, since the other material is not metal. And it makes the gold Apple Watch functionally better, by making it lighter.
However, there is no information yet that this patent has anything to do with the Watch — Apple did not mention ceramics in any of the presentations or descriptions of the material.
Usual qualitative descriptions such as “twice harder” and the like are not indications since whole point of 18 karat golden alloy versus 24 karat (100%) gold is adding other materials that make whole thing significantly harder.
But lets see; maybe Apple will give some indication of the material on Monday, or iFixit will weigh the body of golden Apple Watch (if they will have money to buy it. ;))) — then we will know with absolute certainty whether ceramics is used or not due to weigh/volume calculations.
By the way, one importance consequence of use of such ceramics is noticeably lower weight of such golden alloy body — there is no need to make Watch too heavy.
Wait for it, samsung will copy this process and many other and judge Lucy will allow that millions in investigation go to trash be use of her.. And the conformist.
So it is a lower density material employing ceramic particles, but it is still 18k gold, or 75% gold by weight. Like any other gold object, it will have an intrinsic value based on its gold content – total weight multiplied by percentage of gold.
The Apple watch is fairly large, so a lower density gold-based metal matrix composite makes a lot of sense to me. Few people want to wear an anchor on their wrists. But I can see the negative media spin on this already – cheap Apple Watch Edition uses less gold than standard 18k gold products.
Jewelry is always priced differently than pure bullion. Add to jewelry pricing it’s design, uniqueness, craftsmanship and appeal in addition to the metal purity value and you most always get premium brand prices that far exceed the value of the metal. So, all the speculating experts here are legends only in their own minds , since the purity is not the only significant factor that determines retail pricing.
No, but the intrinsic value of the gold is important. The cost of the gold along with other costs – alloy production, casting, machining, etc., all contribute to the cost of the product.
We never claimed that the intrinsic gold value was the only significant factor in the price of the gold Apple Watch. Nor did we claim to be “legends,” in our minds or elsewhere. Your post was fine, up until that last sentence.
It also means the watch is lighter overall.
The heck with the gold, make mine ALL ceramic!
Chip and shatter proof, bet Apple could pull it off.
Shhhh! Samsung is listening. 😉
This is rather silly.
18k gold typically means 75% gold by weight (mass), not volume. 1 troy ounce of 18k gold has a fine weight of .75 troy ounces. This is the standard measurement in the jewelry industry.
Since 18k gold by definition will be an alloy containing other metals and those other metals need not be specified, it’s inherent that the remaining 25% will be materials of differing density.
So for example, you could mix gold with just copper adding .75 ounces of gold and .25 ounces of copper and end up with 18k gold; or you could mix .75 ounces of gold with .25 ounces of silver and get 18k gold. The copper one will be bigger by volume than the silver, and be cheaper to produce. It will also be darker and softer.
All of this is exactly what metallurgy has always been all about, mixing the metals to create an alloy with the best qualities you’re looking for… color, hardness, and yes, volume. While (good) businesses have always been about producing the best quality at the lowest cost.
If the 18k Apple Watch is a color that sucked, scratched easily, discolored over time or was otherwise damaged, that would be one thing, but otherwise, it’s inline with the standard of measurement in the industry.
Exactly so…
Assuming this is for the Apple Watch, (a fare assumption) the amount of gold by weight will be clearly listed.
A lighter gold watch? Beverly Hills joggers will be happy! 🙂
A heavier watch would give them more exercise! Complaining about a heavy watch while jogging, is like complaining that your parking spot is too far from the gym/fitness center. 😀
Yeah, who wants ultra-light running shoes!? I wear my army boots… 🙂
When I was in the Army running in combat boot distances of a mile or more for PT was discontinued. Too many injuries from feet to neck. Combat boot transmit shock, rather than absorb it. A couple ounces on the wrist shouldn’t be a problem. 😀
A couple ounces in the pocket can get you in a lot of trouble.
The Apple Watch sports edition is the sports edition because it is lighter. They even went without the Sapphire Crystal on that model JUST to make it lighter.
And lighter is my preference among the choices. So it’s WATCH SPORT Space Gray 42mm for me. 😜💥😱⌚️🚀😃
Also, it is not common practice and infact. rare if not stupid to use the purest form of gold (24carat) for a watch or most jewelry since it is soft and pliable. In earlier times some pendants amd medalians were made of 24 carat gold and if anyone has ever seen them they are kinked and likely bent, from handling and use, unless preserved in some encasement.
I want a gold/ceramic car.
Is Apple doing this with the iPhones? I still think they scratch, scuff and nicks to easily.
That would be interesting.. An iPhone gold edition that is actually 18k gold casing..
Re kevicosuave comment earlier: Agree…
As Apple stated from the beginning, “The Edition collection features six uniquely elegant expressions of Apple Watch. Each has a watch case crafted from 18-karat gold that our metallurgists have developed to be up to twice as hard as standard gold.”
And, as describe elsewhere*, “Hardness is how we judge how easily things scratch. Some technical numbers show how a higher number scratches the same number and anything lower. Hardness is related to the Mohs hardness scale. Diamond is the hardest at 10. Talc is listed as 1 the softest. Pure gold (24 karat) is Mohs 2.5, 14 and 18 karat list at Mohs 3. Platinum list at Mohs 4.33. Sterling silver list at Mohs 2.5.”
Not my expertise, but could one surmise that Apple’s gold/ceramic = 75/25 ratio, would yield a hardness scale for standard gold of Mohs 3 to ~6. That being the case, the amount of gold in the gold Watch would be half of what normally would be needed to achieve the current 18k standard?
And perhaps, the Watch will be significantly less than what the pundits are forecasting?
https://www.mygemologist.com/learn/care-and-cleaning/caring-for-and-cleaning-your-jewelry/
Problem with looking at only hardness is that sometimes the hardest substances can be some of the most brittle and easily shattered..
I wonder if any Las Vegas casinos are running the over/under on how long it will take before Samsung’s Gear watch starts to look just like the Apple Watch?
Meh. I don’t care. I think gold looks tacky anyway. Stainless steel, and aluminum look better in my opinion.
I like gold but will buy a black stainless unless the gold meets my price point.
One of the drawbacks to wearing high-K gold jewelry has always been its softness. High-K jewelry wears off of the surface and is lost forever. 18k rings will thin out much quicker than 10k rings.
This new process is going to take a lot of thought. The karat standard is one of the oldest and most respected standards in the world. It wasn’t long ago that they hung people in Britain for manipulating or falsifying the standard.
With 18k people expect 75% gold by weight. I’m sure the gold standard folks (and competition bureau people) are going to examine what is being produced and sold. Even the mighty Apple will not be able to cleverly market gold. It will either be 18k or it won’t. Simple as that.
I’d like to understand your point about apple’s challenge here. It’s really not at all clear to me.
You seem to be implying that there’s somethin about this ceramic gold alloy that requires deception, or that deviates from accepted practice.
If everything described in the article is true, then it would seem that apple is working completely within the rules of the road
What marketing challenge r u talking about. Apple has apparently made an true 18k gold alloy that is twice as hard as is typical and which weighs less per unit volume than is typical. I don’t see any need for deceptive marketing here
Could you clarify your point
You have evidence that Apple is going to fudge the standard?
Are you some kind of idiot?
Better yet, how do you falsify the STANDARD?
As far as I know…
“The karat measure of gold is based on the mass fraction. One hundred grams of 18k gold has 75 grams of gold and 25 grams of other material. If that “other material” is a low-density ceramic, it takes up a bigger volume than if it’s a high-density metal. Because the casing of a watch is made to a particular size (i.e. volume), not to a particular weight, the Watch will have less gold in it than an 18k case made of a conventional alloy.”*
In order for anyone to falsify the STANDARD would require them to STAMP the ‘GOLD’ (I.E., THE PART OF THE) item with a higher ‘K’ value than it is.
As stated, “According to a new report*, Apple holds a patent that allows them to make 18-karat gold that uses just 28 percent as much gold (in volume) as a standard† 18-karat gold alloy.
For consumers, this means that the pricing model for the Apple Watch Edition may be significantly lower than the original estimates. It is fascinating to see that Apple has some brilliant material scientists on board working on breakthrough manufacturing techniques.”
† NOTE: Perhaps the area of confusion is likely the liberal use of the word STANDARD. For clarity, the author should have said, ” “According to a new report*, Apple holds a patent that allows them to make 18-karat gold that uses just 28 percent as much gold (in volume) as the usual 18-karat gold (all-metal) alloy made today.
* http://leancrew.com/all-this/2015/03/apple-gold/
You bring up a good point.. Till now the expectation of 18K gold was that regardless of the alloy used the deviation in weight was small due to the metals being used for the alloy being relatively similar in density. Now with Apple’s ceramic patent for a new 18k gold compound the weight may differ quite significantly. This is purely an emotional value but may cause the jewelry industry to reexamine the carat standard to account for the larger variation between the heaviest and lightest 18k compounds.
I wonder how Apple’s patents in this area will conflict with Hublot’s patents. They’ve been doing gold ceramic composits for two years.
The PATENT here: http://pdfaiw.uspto.gov/.aiw?PageNum=0&docid=20140361670&IDKey=A9058DEAFBAB&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fappft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPG01%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D20140361670.PGNR.%2526OS%3D%2526RS%3D
What I found interesting was in the Background:
“[0004] What is desired is a metal matrix composite that presents a cosmetically appealing appearance that is maintained throughout an operation lifetime and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture in both processing and materials.”
Perhaps we will be seeing an Edition Gold Watch at <$2000?
Great read. This patent could be literally a gold mine. Particularly as described using other metals with metal and non-metal materials
The more I read into this, at Watch Edition at <$1200?
Why not.
Change the ‘?’ to a zero and I was right on.
Wow.. That’s pretty interesting.. So if you can somehow create a gold-aerogel compound you could have something that has less than 1 percent gold and over 99% aerogel and still be considered 18K gold.. 😛