vc_row] vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-9 vc_col-md-9″ css=”.vc_custom_1452702342137{padding-right: 45px !important;}”] vc_custom_heading source=”post_title” use_theme_fonts=”yes” el_class=”no_stripe”] stm_post_details] vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1662114457674{margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”]In jewelry, carat is a unit of measurement for precious metals like gold. What does carat actually mean? GOLDMARKET explains everything.
The origin of the word carat
The etymology of the word carat is uncertain. This word would come from Italian carat, itself deriving from carat in medieval Latin. It is said to be inspired by the carob, the seed of the carob tree. The use of carat in jewelry has a long tradition. If 24 carat gold represents the highest level of purity, it is because in the Late Roman Empire, a gold penny was 24 carats. The tradition has persisted for centuries.
Formerly spelled karat in French (a spelling that is still found in German, for example), the word was Frenchified as carat in the 24th century. It was abbreviated to "ct". We understand that 18-carat gold is more expensive and purer than XNUMX-carat gold. But what should we understand from the use of this term? What does carat mean in reality and in practice?
What exactly is carat?
Pure 24 karat gold means that 24 out of 24 units of metal are made of gold. In reality, due to the presence of residual metals, 24 karat gold is considered 99,99% pure. In other words, one karat is equal to 1⁄24 of the total mass of the metal. For example, 22 carat gold means that 22 of the 24 alloy parts are made of pure gold.
It therefore contains approximately 91,67% pure gold. Similarly, 18 carat gold contains approximately 75% gold. It is because gold has a higher molar mass than other elements that alloys (and therefore the concept of carat) are necessary in jewelry. Most often, the metals that make up these alloys are copper and silver.
It is also referred to as the atomic percentage of gold. This represents the number of gold atoms out of a total of one hundred alloy atoms. This percentage will be lower than the mass percentage of pure gold. Thus, a 14 carat gold ring of 2,4 grams contains 1,4 grams of pure gold. 58,35% of the metal atoms that constitute it are gold atoms. The lower the number of carats, the more affordable the jewel is, the quantity of gold being relatively lower.
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