Topic hub
Gold
Karat, gram weight and what a listing is actually selling you. Solid gold, gold-filled, vermeil and plate are four different products at four different lifespans — and the pennyweight is where all of them are finally settled.
Where to start
Comparisons
Glossary terms
- Pennyweight (dwt)
- One twentieth of a troy ounce — 1.555 grams. The unit refiners weigh gold in.
- Troy Ounce
- 31.1035 grams — the ounce precious metals are priced in, heavier than the kitchen ounce.
- Karat vs Carat
- Karat is gold purity in twenty-fourths. Carat is gemstone weight. Different units.
- Vermeil
- Sterling silver plated with gold to a regulated minimum thickness.
- Gold-Filled vs Gold-Plated
- Gold-filled is a bonded layer by weight; plate is microns thick and rubs through.
- Hallmark
- A stamped mark recording metal fineness — compulsory in some countries, not in the US.
The short list
Three entries from the ledger — the full ranking lives on the best-of pages.
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