Although Gold is almost impervious to all corrosion and virtually impossible to destroy, it is the softest of the precious metals. The greater the purity of gold, the softer it is. Hence a little care can go a long way in helping to retain its good looks and luster for generation after generation. Gold, although rare and difficult to obtain can be easily "worked". So easily, in fact, that just one ounce of gold can be beaten out to cover a surface area of over 27 square meters! For gold jewelry – unlike for investment Gold, which must be 99.5% or better in Europe, and even 99.99% in Japan's Tocom market – pure gold is alloyed with silver, copper and various to make it suitably hard for jewelery production. The percentage of pure gold is denoted by its carat (k) weight.

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