When you buy jewellery, you may have noticed the terms karat, K or kt. Gold jewellery and other gold pieces come in different karat – 10k, 12k, 14k and 18k. As the karat goes higher, the more expensive the piece becomes. But, do you understand what Karat actually means? In this article, we will help you in understanding what karat is.

Karat is the unit of measurement for the purity of gold. Gold is measured by its purity rather than its weight. It is said that word karat is derived from carob seed. Carob seeds were used to balance scales in measuring the weight of gold.

You may be asking yourself, why they measure gold by its purity when in the ancient times, they measure it by its weight. Gold jewellery is measured by its purity because pure gold is too soft to be used in creating jewellery. They usually mix it with other metals like copper and zinc.

Pure gold is about 24 karats. 1 karat is equal to 1/24 part of gold. Karat shows how much gold and other metals are in a piece gold jewellery. When you visit jewellery stores, you will just see gold ranging from 9 karat to 18 karat. Anything above that is rare.

However, if you think about the process guide in selling your gold, do not confuse karat with carat. Karat is for gold while carat is the unit of measurement for gemstones and pearls. These terms are often interchanged so you should bear those points discussed above whenever you have plans in buying or selling gold.

By understanding what gold karat is, you’ll be able to make a wise decision whenever you’re planning to purchase gold jewellery or buy and sell gold for investment purposes. Feel free to send us a message if you need further assistance on this matter.