Karats, Carats and Carrots. What are the Differences?

For the average person, these words may brush off as homonyms that hold little meaning, however in the world of jewellery, these words define much more. 

A carrot is a delicious orange vegetable which is jam packed with anti oxidants and enough Vitamin A to bring your eyes back to life. 

A "karat" on the other hand as it relates to gold, refers to the purity of the gold being bought. Typically pure gold is mixed with an alloy or metal in order to strengthen the gold or to enhance the colour. Rose gold for example is a mixture of gold and copper, giving it a unique tone.

When you see a Karat value think of fractions of 24. A 10K necklace is 10 parts gold and 14 parts alloy. 14K is 14 parts gold and 10 parts alloy and so on and so forth.

Another way karats can be referred to is in percentages. The way these numbers are acquired are as follows:

A 10K necklace = 10 parts gold, 14 parts alloy

10 + 14 = 24

10 parts gold divided by 24 total parts is 41.66%

Therefore 10K gold will sometimes be referred to as 41.66% gold

A 24K necklace = 24 parts gold, 0 parts alloy

24 Parts gold divided by 24 total parts is 100%

Therefore 24K gold is referred to as 100% gold.

This same principle applies to metals such as silver as well. When you see sterling silver 925, it means 92.5% of the piece is pure silver and the remaining 7.5% is an alloy. 950 Sterling silver is 95% pure silver and 5 % alloy.

Carats on the other hand refer to a unit of weight for diamonds and other precious jewels. 1 Carat = 200 milligrams (0.200 Grams).

Now you can impress your friends and family with what you learned from Valencia Jewellery!

Join us next time as we break down how it is diamonds are graded and how to spot fakes!

Remember...Top Choices Begin at Valencia Jewellery.