Glossary · Fine Jewelry
Karat vs Carat
Karat (K) measures gold purity in twenty-fourths: 24K is pure gold, 18K is 75 per cent gold, 14K is 58.3 per cent. Carat (ct) measures gemstone weight, where one carat is 0.2 grams. They are unrelated units that sound identical spoken aloud. A listing reading "14K, 1.5 ct" is describing the metal alloy and the stone weight — not two grades of the same thing.
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