Karat (K) – Just as you measure water in liters and distance in kilometers, gold is measured in Karats. The purest form of gold is said ...
Karat (K) – Just
as you measure water in liters and distance in kilometers, gold is measured in
Karats. The purest form of gold is said to be 24K. Here’s a simple guide to
understanding the difference between 24k, 22k and 18k gold.
24 Karat Gold:
24k gold is called
pure gold or 100 per cent gold. This means that all 24 parts in the gold are
all pure gold without traces of any other metals. It is known to be 99.9% pure
and takes on a distinct bright yellow color.
24karat gold is
so soft that it is mostly impractical to use it in pure form as it will be
prone to easy wear and tear. This form of gold is too soft, even to hold any
other stones in it. Hence, it is not suited for regular forms of jewellery. Gold Coins and bars are mostly bought of 24K gold purity.
22 Karat Gold:
22K gold
jewellery implies that 22 parts of the jewellery amounts to gold and the
balance 2 parts are some other metals. This kind of gold is commonly used in
jewellery making. In 22K gold, of the 100 per cent, only 91.67 per cent is pure
gold. The other 8.33 per cent comprises metals like silver, zinc, nickel and
other alloys.
18Karat Gold
18K gold is 75
per cent gold mixed with 25 per cent of other metals like copper or silver etc.
Usually studded jewellery and other diamond jewellery are made in 18K gold.
This kind of gold is less expensive compared to 24K and 22K. This one has a
slightly dull gold colour.
How is fineness calculated?
Karat is also expressed
in fineness. For e.g. 24 k gold is expressed as 1000 parts out of 1000 pure or
fineness 1.000. 22 k is expressed as 22 divided by 24, multiplied by 1000 which
will give you a fineness of 0.9166, 21 karat is 21 divided by 24 multiplied by
1000 which is 0.875 fineness and similarly 18 karat is 0.750 fineness.
24 karat = 100%
gold or Pure gold
22 karat = 91.7
% gold
18 karat = 75.0
% gold
14 karat = 58.3
% gold
12 karat = 50.0
% gold
10 karat = 41.7
% gold
It must also be
understood that purity can sometimes be mentioned as combination of 3 numerals.
For example
24K = 99.9% Pure
= 999
22K = 91.6% Pure
= 916
18K = 75% Pure =
750
14K = 58.3% Pure
= 585 & so on
I hope you got
an idea on gold purity and karat ratio…
