(1) 24 carats Explanation: Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Gold has a bright yellow colour and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. The metal therefore occurs often in free elemental (native) form, as nuggets or grains in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits. Less commonly, it occurs in minerals as gold compounds, usually with tellurium. Pure gold is too soft for day-to-day monetary use and is typically hardened by alloying with copper, silver or other base metals. The gold content of alloys is measured in carats (k). Pure gold is designated as 24k.