Gold karats measure the amount of gold in an object, with higher numbers indicating more gold. 24-karat gold is almost pure, while 10-karat is about 42% gold. Gold-plated or filled items have a lower overall percentage of gold. Higher karats don’t necessarily mean durability, and some countries prefer nearly pure gold.
Gold karats are units of measurement for evaluating the amount of gold versus the amount of other metals in an object. Sometimes people spell it as carat, but that spelling is usually reserved for measuring precious and semi-precious stones. Also the term karat should not be confused with the symbol ^, which is spelled caret.
When people buy jewelry made with gold, they may see it marked as 14K, 18K, 10K or sometimes 24K. The K refers to the amount of karat or gold in the jewelry. In general, it can be said that higher numbers mean there is a greater amount of gold in the item. So 24-karat gold has a higher percentage of gold than 18-karat and is almost pure gold, although it may contain trace amounts of other metals.
One carat means that the item is 1/24th gold or is about 4% gold, although it is hard to find gold jewelry that is one carat. 10-karat jewelry, which is very common among less expensive pieces, is about 42% gold. 14K and 18K pieces are approximately 58% and 75% gold, respectively. 24-karat gold contains approximately 99% or more gold.
Measurements for karats of gold become more complicated if an item is gold plated or gold filled. This means that only the areas of the piece where gold is actually used will have the percentage of gold indicated by the gold karats. The overall percentage of a gold plated or gold filled piece will be much less than the carat number shown.
One thing many people new to buying gold may be wondering is why people wouldn’t naturally always buy pieces with the highest karat level of gold. There is actually a good explanation for this, which has to do with the nature of gold as a metal. Gold can be called a soft metal, which if not mixed with other metals, can bend very easily. Even a 14K or 18K gold piece, especially a thin piece, can be bent by hand in some cases.
While higher gold karats represent higher purity, they don’t necessarily mean a gold piece will be durable. If someone is buying a piece of jewelry like a gold wedding ring, they obviously don’t want it to become deformed through normal wear and tear. This is why people would choose lower karat gold like a 14K ring, instead of opting for a 24K ring, which probably won’t hold up well over time.
There are some countries that prefer to sell nearly pure 22 or 24 karat gold products. This is common in some Southeast Asian countries and Central Asia. Such countries may consider 14K gold, a common purity level used in the United States, to be significantly lower.
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