Gold karat information
Since ancient times, the purity of gold has been defined by the term karat, which is 1/24 part of pure gold by weight. Pure gold is equivalent to 24K. Gold purity may also be described by its fineness, which is the amount of pure gold in parts per 1000. For example, a gold ring containing 583 fine gold has 583 parts (58.3%) gold and 417 parts (41.7%) of other base metals. Federal Trade Commission rules require that all jewelry items sold in the United States as gold shall be described by "a correct designation of the karat fineness of the alloy."
| Karat Gold | Parts Gold | % Gold |
|---|---|---|
| 9kt |
9 in 24 | 37.5% |
| 10kt | 10 in 24 | 41.67% |
| 12kt | 12 in 24 | 50% |
| 14kt | 14 in 24 | 58.33% |
| 18kt | 18 in 24 | 75% |
| 22kt | 22 in 24 | 91.67% |
| 24kt | 24 in 24 | 99.99% |
Weighing Precious Metals
The weight of a piece of gold jewelry is a factor that helps to determine its value. It is important because it is an indication of the amount of fine gold in an item of jewelry. Grams (g) and pennyweights (dwt) are the units of weight most commonly used in weighing gold. Gold and silver are almost always weighted in the troy system of weights where one pound troy equals twelve troy ounces and twenty pennyweights equals one troy ounce. The Avoirdupois weight system, where one pound equals 16 ounces, is used in the United States for most everything except precious metals. The following table summarizes useful weight conversions.
| Weight | grams (g) | pennyweight (dwt) | troy ounce (oz t) | ounce avoirdupois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 gram (g) |
1 | 0.643 | 0.0032 | 0.035 |
| 1 pennyweight (dwt) | 1.555 | 1 | 0.05 | 0.055 |
| 1 troy ounce (oz t) | 31.103 | 20 | 1 | 1.097 |
| 1 ounce avoirdupois (oz av) | 28.3495 | 18.229 | 0.911 | 1 |
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