Carat and karat are often confused. Carat refers to the weight of a gemstone, while karat indicates the purity of gold. Gold must be mixed with other metals to be used in jewelry, and the karat determines its value. Gemstones are valued based on the four Cs: cut, clarity, carat, and color. Size matters, but stone type is critical.
Often a source of much confusion, the difference between a carat and a carat is easy enough to figure out, but can be a little difficult to remember. A carat is simply a unit of measure to indicate the purity of a metal, usually gold. The term carat is used to indicate the weight of a precious stone, especially diamonds.
The term karat is necessary, especially for gold, simply because the nature of the metal means it must be made into an alloy. Gold is a very soft metal that cannot be used practically as jewelry in its purest form. It would quickly deform and scratch. Therefore, jewelry makers have to do something to fortify the metal. This task is accomplished by mixing gold with a harder metal.
The karat is responsible, in most cases, for determining the relative value of the gold piece. The price difference between 10k, the lowest purity gold can be and is still considered gold, and 18k, the highest purity commonly available gold jewelry, can be significant. Gold designated as 10 karat is less than half gold, while eighteen karat gold is 75% gold. A twelve-karat one is half gold and half another metal or metals. While it is available for sale, it is not one of the more common purities.
The term carat applies to weight and is based on the metric system. One carat is 200 milligrams (seven thousandths of an ounce). In other words, a gemstone weighing one gram (35 thousandths of an ounce) would be five carats. If the term is used correctly, anytime you see the word carat, it will apply to the weight of a gemstone, especially diamonds. If the weight is less than a carat, the size is often given as a fraction, usually a quarter, half, or eighth of a carat.
While the carat is responsible for much of the value of gold, the carat may be just one of the main factors reflecting the value of a gemstone, especially diamonds. The quality of the diamond is determined by the four Cs: cut, clarity, carat and color. The most popular diamonds are those that have good clarity and are colorless, but size also makes a difference.
It should also be noted that while there are few diamonds weighing more than a couple of carats, other gemstones are commonly found weighing a dozen carats or more. Therefore, while size matters and helps determine value, stone type is critical. However, even in jewelry, bigger isn’t always better. Many gemstones are often reduced in size so they can fit into conventional jewelry.
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