Carat in Gold, Carat in Diamond

Some swear by gold and some sigh for diamonds are treasured by the connoisseurs of fine living and both have a measure in common- carat. But it does not mean the same. For gold, it is a measure of purity and for diamond of weight.

In Africa, the kuara seeds of the African Coral Tree were used as counterweights for weighing diamonds. The term Carat is derived from the kuara seed or from the Greek word Keration or the kernel of the Carob bean that comes from the Locust tree. 1 carat equals to 0.20 grams and 100 points. 5 carats equals 1 gram. In the diamond industry, even a fraction of a carat causes remarkable cost difference and hence precision is crucial.

In the gold industry carat stands for the percentage of pure gold in a jewellery piece. The Higher the carat, the higher the gold content or its purity ratio. In India and some of the countries people spell it as Karat instead of carat when it comes to gold.

24-carat gold is fine (99.9 per cent Au w/w), 18-carat gold is 75 per cent gold, 12-carat gold is 50 per cent gold, and so forth. Gold is a relatively soft metal and high carat gold tends to be easily damaged hence the 24 carat gold jewellery needs to be carefully maintained. Usually copper or silver is mixed with gold to make the jewellery. As per government standards, jewellers do the 22 carat jewellery or ornament. So, when you are choosing your favourite gold or diamond creation keep in mind the importance of carat.

Gold Purity 24 carat: 999 or 995
23 carat: 958
22 carat: 916
18 carat: 749
14 carat: 538