What is gold karat?

When people buy gold jewelry in the store, the seller often describes it in terms of karats (abbreviated kt or K). The gold jewelries are made with different karat, such as 10 karat, 12 karat, 14 karat, and 18 karat. High karat gold jewelries are more expensive. Well, what exactly does the "karat" mean?

What is the karat?

Karat is a unit of purity for gold alloys, rather than weight. The word "karat" is from the carob seed, which was used as balance scales to measure the weight of gold in ancient Asian bazaars.

What is Gold Karat?

Since the pure gold is too soft to make exquisite jewelries. Therefore, the gold jewelries are almost alloy which are mixed with other metals, such as silver, copper, or zinc. Pure gold is 24 karats. A unit karat of gold is equal to 1/24 part (4.1667%). The gold karat shows how many parts of gold and how many parts of other metals in a gold jewelry. The following chart shows the differences between the different karats, and also shows the percentage of gold and other metals.

As I mentioned, gold is a relatively soft metal, so high-karat stuff are often easily damaged. A 24 karat item is generally reserved for display or ceremonial use. In the stores, most gold items have a karat rating in the range 9 to 18. In the US, the minimum karat value for gold jewelry to be sold is 10, but in the UK 9 karat is more common. In additional, gold purity does not affect its weight! Different color of gold are mixed with different other metals. For example, gold mixes copper is called red karat gold.

What's the difference between Karat and Carat?

We are often confusion over the differing use of "carat" and "karat". The Karat is a gold unit for purity, and Carat is a unit for mass which is used for measuring the weight of gemstones and pearls (1 carat is equal to 200mg). However, carat and karat are usually used interchangeably in some countries.

In addition to being used to measure the purity of gold and the weight of diamonds and gemstones, karat and carat are also used to measure other things. For example, karat can also be used to indicate the fineness of other precious metals, such as silver and platinum. In this case, the higher the karat number, the purer the metal. For example, 999-karat silver is pure silver, while 925-karat silver is 925 parts pure silver and 75 parts other metals. Carat can also be used to measure the weight or mass of other substances, such as medications or other chemicals. In this case, the higher the carat weight, the greater the weight or mass of the substance. For example, a 10-carat medication is heavier or more massive than a 5-carat medication. So, as you can see, karat and carat are versatile units of measurement that can be used to indicate the purity, weight, or mass of a wide range of substances.

How to test the purity of gold?

There are two common methods to test gold for its purity, Acid Test Kits and Electronic Testing Kits. However, any acid testing will lose some small amount of gold.

It's important to note that no matter which method you use to test the purity of gold, it's always best to have the gold tested by a professional. This is because the process of testing gold can be complex and requires a certain level of expertise. In addition, a professional will have access to more accurate testing equipment and will be able to provide a more accurate assessment of the gold's purity. So, if you're unsure of the purity of your gold, it's always best to have it tested by a professional.

In addition to having your gold tested by a professional, it's also a good idea to have the gold appraised by a qualified appraiser. An appraisal is a detailed report that provides information about the gold, such as its purity, weight, and value. This can be useful if you're planning to sell your gold or if you want to know more about its value for insurance purposes. An appraisal can also help you to make sure that you're getting a fair price for your gold if you're planning to sell it.