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Does gold rust? Or is it rust proof?
Pure gold doesn’t rust. Gold alloyed with ferrous metals rusts when exposed to water and oxygen. This is crucial to know if you own jewelry made of an alloy of pure gold+ ferrous metal (steel, cast iron, wrought iron and stainless steel).
Does gold oxidize?
Pure gold doesn’t oxidize because it’s a very inert metal. Gold alloyed with other metals like silver or copper oxidizes and tarnishes when exposed to oxygen, moisture, or some chemicals (chlorine, bleach, sulfur, hydrogen peroxide…)
Does gold corrode?
Pure gold doesn’t corrode. It’s a noble metal that doesn’t react with oxygen or moisture. Pure gold alloyed with other metals can corrode depending on the alloy’s composition and the environment it’s exposed to.
There’s more to learn about this interesting topic and below are all the questions people commonly have about gold rusting and corroding, especially when gold jewelry is concerned.
- Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Water?
- Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Chlorine?
- Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Bleach?
- Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Nitric Acid?
- Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Lemon Juice?
- Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Flame or Fire?
- Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Baking Soda?
- Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Vinegar?
- Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Toothpaste?
- Does 14K Gold Rust and Corrode?
- Where to Buy Real Gold?
Table of Contents
Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Water?
No, pure gold doesn’t rust or corrode when exposed to water. Gold is a noble metal and highly resistant to oxidation.
This means gold doesn’t readily react with other substances, and oxygen from air or water won’t corrode or rust it.
Salt water water is different than regular water when it comes to gold. Salt water doesn’t rust gold, but it can corrode it. This is especially true if your gold item is made from an alloy of pure gold+ copper or silver. The higher the copper or silver amount, the more corrosion will salt water cause.
Also, water is great for testing the authenticity of gold bars, coins and jewelry. It’s called the gold float test.
Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Chlorine?
No, gold doesn’t rust or corrode when exposed to chlorine. Gold is a noble metal that doesn’t readily react with chemicals, including chlorine.
However, gold jewelry, which is usually an alloy of pure gold with other metals, can be damaged by chlorine, leading to discoloration, tarnishing, and even corrosion due to the reaction with the alloy components.
My advice is to not wear your gold jewelry in chlorinated swimming pools and under shower.
Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Bleach?
Gold doesn’t rust when exposed to bleach. However, bleach tarnishes gold upon prolonged or repeated exposure.
Pure gold is very resistant to corrosion, even when exposed to bleach for a long time.
Gold jewelry cast from from an alloy of yellow gold+ some other metal is potentially very susceptible to corroding when exposed to bleach. It’s because bleach causes a chemical reaction that disintegrates the metals within the alloy.
For example, one recent study (I link to it in the reference section of this guide) showed that 14K gold ring completely disintegrates when placed in common household bleach for 36 hours.
Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Nitric Acid?
Gold doesn’t rust when exposed to nitric acid.
Nitric acid is also unable to corrode pure gold, though Aqua Regia solution can fully dissolve both pure gold and most gold alloys.
Note: nitric acid is unable to damage real gold and that’s why it’s commonly used to test gold item’s authenticity.
Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Lemon Juice?
No, pure gold doesn’t rust when exposed to lemon juice. Moreover, lemon juice easily tarnishes most gold alloys and it’s the presence of these other metals that allows for the tarnishing effect to happen.
As for corrosion, pure gold doesn’t corrode when exposed to lemon juice. Gold alloys that jewelry is made of could potentially corrode but you’d need to submerge your item in concentrated lemon juice for a long time (at least a week).
Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Flame or Fire?
Gold neither rusts nor corrodes when exposed to flame or a fire. Instead, it solidifies further. Gold is so resistant to fire that it’s possible to use a lighter to test’s gold’s authenticity.
Fire can melt gold but the melting point of gold is 1,947°F (1064°C), which is temperature you can’t reach under normal circumstances in your home.
Pure gold isn’t flammable and is highly resistant to heat and melting. But what about popular gold alloys?
- White gold is an alloy of yellow gold and white metals like nickel, palladium and silver. The melting point of white gold ranges from 1886°F–1940°F (1030°C-1060 C). White gold doesn’t tarnish or rust.
- Black gold is gold that’s been covered with a thin layer of black rhodium plating. The melting point of black gold is 1,064°C (or 1,947°F). Black gold doesn’t rust, but it tarnishes over time and without proper care.
- Rose gold, also known as red gold is a pink-tinted alloy of gold and copper that’s used to make jewelry. The melting point of rose gold is between 1,715°F (935°C) and 1,600°F (871°C). Rose gold doesn’t tarnish and doesn’t rust, but it can develop a patina over time (because of copper oxidation).
- Green gold is a green-tinted natural alloy of yellow gold and silver. It’s a premium material used to make jewelry. The melting point of green gold is between 963°C (1765°F) and 988°C (1810°F). Green gold neither tarnishes nor rusts (silver is also a non-rusting precious metal)
- Purple gold (also known as amethyst gold or violet gold) is a purple-tinted alloy of yellow gold and aluminum. It’s melting point is 1,947°F (1060°C), which is similar to the melting point of pure gold. Purple gold tarnishes over time and never rusts.
- Blue gold is a rare alloy of yellow gold and indium or gallium. These 2 element give it it’s bluish hue. The melting point of blue gold is around 541°C (or 1,006°F) for gold/indium alloy; and 492°C (918°F) for gold/gallium alloy. Blue gold doesn’t rust but can tarnish over time.
- Gold vermeil is a type of jewelry made from sterling silver coated with a layer of gold. The word “vermeil” comes from the Low Latin word “vermis”, which means “gilded silver”. The melting point of gold vermeil is 1760°F (960°C). Gold vermeils tarnishes over time but it doesn’t rust.
As you can see, in general the melting point of gold allots is lower than the melting point of pure, 24k gold.
Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Baking Soda?
No, gold doesn’t rust or corrode when exposed to baking soda. Pure gold is a noble metal that’s highly resistant to corrosion and baking soda can neither rust nor corrode genuine-gold items.
Baking soda is safe for removing tarnish from gold, but using it aggressively can scratch the surface of your gold jewelry item. Be fast and be gentle when cleaning gold items with baking soda.
Especially be careful when cleaning thinly plated gold items as baking soda will often eat right through them.
Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Vinegar?
No, gold doesn’t rust and corrode when exposed to vinegar. Vinegar is acidic and bathing your gold in it will tarnish and discolor it, but won’t oxidize and corrode.
Prolonged exposure to vinegar is known to erode the surface of gold jewelry, particularly if it has plating or intricate details.
The basic principal is that the lower the karat of gold (meaning more other metals in the alloy), the more susceptible it is to discoloration from vinegar.
Does Gold Rust and Corrode When Exposed to Toothpaste?
No, gold doesn’t rust or corrode when exposed to toothpaste. Pure gold is highly resistant to corrosion and won’t react with toothpaste due to its inert nature.
However, the abrasive particles in toothpaste can still scratch the surface of gold jewelry, so you shouldn’t be cleaning your gold items with toothpaste.
Does 14K Gold Rust and Corrode?
No, 14K gold doesn’t rust or corrode because pure gold is highly resistant to corrosion.
However, 14K gold can tarnish slightly over time as it’s an alloy containing other metals like copper and silver (silver tarnishes easily). The tarnishing happens due to the reaction of those alloyed metals with the environment.
Other gold alloys (8K, 9K, 10K, 12K, 18K, 20K, 22K, 24K) also can tarnish and discolor based on the amount of other metals present in the alloy.
| Gold Karat | Gold Content | Rust | Corrosion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24K | 100% gold content | No | No |
| 22K | 91.67% gold content | No | No |
| 20K | 83.3% gold content | No | No |
| 18K | 75% gold content | No, unless gold is alloyed with a ferrous metal to a significant degree. | No |
| 14K | 58.30% gold content | No, unless gold is alloyed with a ferrous metal to a significant degree. | No |
| 12K | 50% gold content | No, unless gold is alloyed with a ferrous metal to a significant degree. | No |
| 10K | 41.7% gold content | No, unless gold is alloyed with a ferrous metal to a significant degree. | No |
| 9K | 37.5% gold content | No, unless gold is alloyed with a ferrous metal to a significant degree. | No |
| 8K | 33.3% gold content | No, unless gold is alloyed with a ferrous metal to a significant degree. | No |
Gold can also be alloyed with iron. It’s rare but there’s custom-made jewelry cast from a gold+ iron alloy.
Jewelry made from an alloy of gold and iron can rust if the percentage of iron is high enough (>25%) and if the jewelry item is exposed to water for a long time.
This type of gold jewelry will also respond to magnets, whereas pure gold isn’t magnetic.
Where to Buy Real Gold?
Are you looking to buy real gold bullion?
There are two ways to do it. First, you can buy physical gold which you can then store in your house safe or under your mattress or wherever you want.
The other way to invest in gold is by opening a gold IRA account with a specialized gold investment company. In that case you’ll need to store gold at a IRA-approved gold IRA depository.
My number #1 pick is Augusta Precious Metals, the number #1 US-based gold IRA company. They have had thousands of successful trade with happy customers and their reviews on consumer watchdog websites are both numerous and stellar with customers raving about their experiences with this gold investment company.
Does Gold Rust or Corrode (Conclusion)?
Pure gold doesn’t rust. Gold alloyed with ferrous metals rusts when exposed to water and oxygen. This is crucial to know if you own jewelry made of an alloy of pure gold+ ferrous metal (steel, cast iron, wrought iron and stainless steel).
Pure gold also doesn’t corrode. It’s a noble metal that doesn’t react with oxygen or moisture. Pure gold alloyed with other metals can corrode depending on the alloy’s composition and the environment it’s exposed to.
Have questions? LMK in the comment section below.
References:
- Does gold rust?- https://www.bullionbypost.co.uk/index/gold/does-gold-rust/
- ELI5: Why do precious metals, like gold, not rust or deteriorate?- https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/883mra/eli5_why_do_precious_metals_like_gold_not_rust_or/
- Is it Possible for Gold to Rust?- https://tavexbullion.co.uk/is-it-possible-for-gold-to-rust/
- Why doesn’t gold corrode?- https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/11r2mv/why_doesnt_gold_corrode/
- Does Gold Tarnish?- https://www.larsonjewelers.com/pages/can-gold-tarnish
Nikola Roza
Nikola Roza is a blogger behind Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined. He writes for bloggers who don't have huge marketing budget but still want to succeed. Nikola is passionate about precious metals IRAs and how to invest in gold and silver for a safer financial future. Learn about Nikola here.
