Gold is admired for its beauty, rarity, and resistance to tarnish—but in its pure form, it is too soft for most practical uses. To make gold suitable for jewelry, it is combined with other metals to form gold alloys. These carefully crafted mixtures enhance durability, control color, and improve wearability without diminishing gold’s value.
Gold has long been admired for its beauty, rarity, and resistance to tarnish. However, one surprising fact about gold is that pure gold is naturally soft. This characteristic plays a crucial role in how gold jewelry is designed, manufactured, and worn. Understanding why pure gold is soft—and how jewelers strengthen it—helps consumers make smarter choices when buying gold jewelry.