Carät

Carät is a unit of measurement used to express the purity of gold and other precious metals. The term originates from the Latin word "caratus," which means "heavy" or "pure." In the context of gold, one carät is equivalent to 200 milligrams, or 1/5 of a gram. The purity of gold is often expressed as a carät value followed by the word "carät," such as "24 carät," which indicates that the gold is 24 parts pure out of a total of 24 parts.

The carät system is used to differentiate between gold of varying purity levels. For example, 24 carät gold is pure gold, while 18 carät gold is 75% pure gold and 25% other metals. The lower the carät value, the higher the percentage of other metals in the alloy, which typically include copper, silver, and zinc.

The carät system is not limited to gold; it is also used to measure the purity of other precious metals such as silver and platinum. For silver, the carät value is often expressed as a percentage, such as "925 carät," which means the silver is 92.5% pure. In the case of platinum, the carät value is typically 950 or 900, indicating the purity level of the metal.

The carät system is widely recognized and used in the jewelry industry, as well as in the precious metals market. It provides a standardized way to communicate the purity of precious metals, allowing consumers and professionals to make informed decisions about the quality and value of gold and other precious metals.