Glossary: What is Carat?

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Definitions: 

  1. Carat is a unit of weight for gemstones, especially for diamonds. One carat equals 0.2 grams. 
  2. The term "carat" when used about gold, refers to the proportion of gold in the alloy. So it becomes a unit of fineness. 24 carat is pure gold, so each carat is 1/24 of it. If a piece of jewelry is 9 carat, it means the metal consists of 9/24 gold and 15/24 other metals. 

History:

Fruits and seeds of the carob tree
The word "carat" comes from the Greek word "keration" which means "fruit of the carob tree." The seeds of the carob tree were used as a unit of weight in ancient times, and were considered to be very accurate and stable because they were all very similar in size and weight.



In the early days of the diamond trade, diamonds were weighed using carob seeds because they were a convenient and reliable way to measure small amounts of weight. Over time, the word "carat" became associated specifically with the measurement of diamonds and other precious stones, and the word is now used internationally to refer to the weight of these stones. The current definition of a carat (abbreviated just ‘ct’) is equal to 0.2 grams, which is about the same as the weight of a single carob seed.

Levels of Carat for Diamond - source: www.gia.edu

What about gold?

The carat level of gold refers to the purity of the gold. Gold is a soft metal, so it is usually mixed with other metals to make it more durable. The term "carat," when used about gold, refers to the proportion of gold in the alloy.

Pure Gold

The most common gold alloys used in jewelry are:
  • 18ct gold, which is 75% gold and 25% other metals
  • 14ct gold, which is 58.5% gold and 41.5% other metals
  • 10ct gold, which is 41.7% gold and 58.3% other metals
  • 9ct gold, which is 37.5% gold and 62.5% other metals
The higher the carat level, the purer the gold and the more valuable it is. For example, 14ct gold is more valuable than 9ct gold because it is purer. It's important to note that the carat level of gold does not have any relationship to the weight of the gold. The weight of gold is measured in grams.

9ct gold is still a popular choice for jewelry in the UK because it is less expensive than higher-carat golds while still having a relatively high gold content. The color of 9ct gold may vary slightly depending on the other metals that are used in the alloy. It is typically a pale yellow color.

Official fineness (purity) levels in the UK

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