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When you are buying diamonds or gold you are confronted with the word carat or karat. Many people do not know what exactly it means.

So here is a compact overview and definition of carat and karat for you:

The spelling karat is used (abbreviation ct or kt) in the United States and Canada as a measure of the purity of gold alloys, while the spelling carat is used to refer to the measure of mass for gemstones.

For Stones:
The carat is a unit of mass used for measuring gems and pearls. At now a carat is defined as exactly 200 mg (0.007,055 oz or 3.086 grains). At the Fourth General Conference on Weights and Measures in 1907 this definition was adopted in the U.S. and Canada , and soon afterwards in many countries around the world. It is universally used today. The carat is divisible into one hundred points of two milligrams each.

For Metals:

Platinum

• 999 (also known as three nines fine)
• 950 (the most common purity for platinum jewellery)
• 900 (also known as one nine fine)
• 850

Gold

• 999.9
• 999 (Fine gold equivalent to 24 carat, also known as three nines fine)
• 995
• 990 (equivalent to 23 carat; also known as two nines fine)
• 916 (equivalent to 22 carat)
• 833 (equivalent to 20 carat)
• 750 (equivalent to 18 carat)
• 625 (equivalent to 15 carat)
• 585 (equivalent to 14 carat)
• 417 (equivalent to 10 carat)
• 375 (equivalent to 9 carat)
• 333 (equivalent to 8 carat; minimum standard for gold in Germany after 1884)

Silver

• 999 (Fine silver used in bullion bars, also known as three nines fine)
• 980 (common standard used in Mexico ca.1930 - 1945)
• 958 (equivalent to Britannia silver)
• 950 (equivalent to "French 1st Standard")
• 925 (equivalent to Sterling silver)
• 900 (equivalent to "Coin silver" in the USA, also known as one nine fine)
• 875 (could be found in former USSR)
• 830 (common standard used in older Scandinavian silver)
• 800 (minimum standard for silver in Germany after 1884; Egyptian silver)

The carat system is increasingly being complemented or superseded by the millesimal fineness system in which the purity of precious metals is denoted by parts per thousand of pure metal in the alloy.

The most common karats used for gold in bullion, jewellery making and by goldsmiths are:

• 24 carat (millesimal fineness 999)
• 22 carat (millesimal fineness 916)
• 20 carat (millesimal fineness 833)
• 18 carat (millesimal fineness 750)
• 15 carat (millesimal fineness 625)
• 14 carat (millesimal fineness 585)
• 10 carat (millesimal fineness 417)
• 9 carat (millesimal fineness 375)
• 8 carat (millesimal fineness 333)

The next time you come across offers as those: 22k Gold Liberty Coins set in 14k Gold Diamond Earrings or 14K W Gold Rainbow Gem 1.5Ct Diamond Tennis Bracelet you know what it all means.

Enjoy,

Chris E.

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