This is a gift I received. Because of my profession, I tried to use it with red ink, but a colleague said it was extravagant, and that's how I learned about Parker pens. I washed it immediately, but a faint red color remained on the nib. I was told it would be fine if I switched to black or blue ink. After that, I kept it carefully stored. The nib is 14-karat gold. The body is gold-plated, I was told. I heard it's quite a rare item. It has no scratches and is very beautiful. I threw away the box just the other day.