Carat
Karat (abbreviated Kt or K) is a measure of the fineness or purity of gold.
24 karat gold is pure gold(100%).
18 karat gold is about three quarters gold(75%).
14 karat gold is a bit over half gold(58.3%).
12 karat gold is exactly half gold.
10 karat gold is 10/24 gold(41.67%).
All jewelry is required by laws to be stamped.Consumers will know the quality of gold used. North American jewelry is typically marked with the karat(10K, 14K, etc.), and Italian jewelry is typically marked with the "fineness" as (417, 583, etc.). So if your jewelry does not have a karat grade stamped on it, check for its 3-digit fineness number.
10K - 417 Fineness
14K - 583 Fineness
18K - 750 Fineness
22K - 917 Fineness
Pure gold is very soft, and it is often mixed with other metals to give it hardness and strength. This mixture of metals is called an 'alloy'. The alloys are often used to vary the properties and colour of gold.
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