Pure gold leaf is twenty-two/one millionths of an inch. It's is the thinnest man-manipulated material known in the world. And to believe that the torch on the restored "Statue of Liberty" is gilded in that thin of a material without any protective coating, will last for decades. But that's why they use it instead of gold paint.<br>Of course, there are buildings all over the world who's rooftops and exterior trim is also surface gilded that already have lasted for many years. Think mosques, buildings around Red Square, oriental structures, and the like.