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Why is pure gold usually too soft for jewelry?

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A diagram showing the periodic table entry for gold, with the symbol Au, atomic number 79, atomic weight 196.96657, electron configuration, and labels for its properties as a solid transition metal with a face-centered cubic crystal structure. — gold The precious metal gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au. Its square on the periodic table details some of its properties, including its atomic weight, atomic number, and crystal structure.

Pure gold is exceptionally soft, making it too delicate to withstand the wear and tear of daily use in jewelry. Because it is the most malleable and ductile of all elements, it lacks the necessary structural integrity to maintain its shape under prolonged handling.123

To address this, gold is typically alloyed with other metals—such as silver, copper, nickel, or zinc—to increase its hardness and strength. These mixtures allow the metal to be crafted into durable jewelry, goldware, and coinage while retaining the aesthetic appeal of the precious metal. The purity of these alloys is measured in karats, where 24-karat gold represents pure gold, and lower karat values indicate a higher proportion of added strengthening metals.124