On Gold What's so special about this gold stuff, anyway? I mean, it's expensive because it's rare but why do we use it in jewellery? Gold has a couple of fairly unique properties that have made it attractive to jewellers throughout history. Prime among these is its resistance to corrosion. The only chemical that can dissolve or even tarnish pure gold is "royal water", a mixture so fiendish few of us are ever likely to encounter it and those who do will have other things to worry about than if it will stain their jewellery. (All super-masochist ....