Carat vs Karat- What Is The Difference?

Carat and Karat are two frequently used terms in the jewelry industry yet they mean two completely different things. Carat is a unit of weight used for gemstones, often confused with Karats used in Gold. The purpose of this blogpost is to help you better understand the difference between Carat and Karat. Especially when trying to understand the jewelry you own or aim to purchase.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CARAT & KARAT?

Carat and Karat are pronounced the same yet they mean two entirely different things. Understanding that Carat refers to QUANTITY versus Karat which refers to QUALITY is the most straightforward way to understand the difference between these two terms.

UNDERSTANDING CARAT

Carat (quantity) refers to the weight of a gemstone such as a Diamond or an Emerald. Ct is the abbreviation for Carat. When a diamond weighs below 1ct we talk about points like 0.10ct is 10 points. Therefore, a 0.50ct is 50 points and in the diamond industry is referred to as a 50 pointer. Consequently, the price of a gemstone goes up at every 10 points and exponentially above 1ct such as 1.20ct, 1.30ct, etc. 

CARAT WEIGHT

1ct = 200mg ∴ 5 carats = 1g = 1000mg

Learn More About Carat Weight.

UNDERSTANDING KARAT 

Karat (quality) refers to the purity of Gold or How much gold is in the metal? 24K is 100% pure but pure gold is very soft. If you opted for a pure gold ring, it would easily dent and bend. Gold is alloyed with a mixture of metals like silver, copper, platinum, and palladium to give it strength and durability.

KARATS AND PERCENTAGES

To better understand Karats we broke down the two most popular strengths of gold sold: 18K, 14K, and 10K. 18K gold means that it has 18 parts out of 24 parts gold. Therefore, 18K gold consists of 75% of gold. That is 750 parts per 1000 units of gold. 14K gold means that it has 14 parts out of 24 parts gold. Therefore, 14K gold consists of 58.33% of gold. That is 585 parts per 1000 units of gold. 10K gold means that it has 10 out of 24 parts of gold. Therefore, 10K gold consists of 41.7% gold. That is 417 parts per 1000 units of gold. The rest consists of alloy.

We hope that this write up has helped you get a better understanding of the difference between Carat weight and Karat. Learn everything you need to know about Diamond Jewelry from Beginner to Expert level using our comprehensive guides and tutorials found in our Knowledge section. 

Written By Bianca Mac Donald of PriceScope Inc.