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The different purities and carats of gold

The carat of gold is a unit of measurement indicating the purity of solid gold for jewelry. Purity is expressed in carats or thousandths, essential information forbuying and selling gold.

A distinction must be made between two types of carat measurement unit, so be careful not to confuse the carat used by goldsmiths with the carat used by diamond and jewellery manufacturers as a unit of weight for precious stones, particularly diamonds.

What does a carat or correspond to?

La désignation « carat » provient des semences sèches du caroubier. Cet arbre servait autrefois à peser les diamants et l’or en Inde orientale et dans les pays de la Méditerranée. Ces semences possèdent un poids très constant (0,2 g). Pour calculer le titre d’alliages d’or en carats, il était d’usage, au Moyen-Âge, de se baser sur le « marc de Cologne ». Ce marc pouvant être divisé en 24 parties pour l’or, on considérait que l’or fin disposait de 24 carats. 1 carat constitue ainsi 1/24 ou 4,1666 % du poids. Souvent, l’alliage 21,6 ct est également utilisé avec un titre d’or de 900/1000. Cet alliage se retrouve en particulier sur les pièces et les bijoux orientaux.

The jeweler's gold carat corresponds to ^1/24th part of pure gold of the total mass of a gold alloy and can be converted by a simple calculation into the mass percentage of gold included in the metal. Follow the news from Abacor, a company specialized in buying and selling gold.

The different carats of gold

Here's a table of gold carats, along with the corresponding title in thousandths and percentage of gold, indicating the proportion of gold in the alloy.
Most of these are totally theoretical or rarely used in jewelry in France, and some are used abroad.
The main gold carats used by goldsmiths in France are shown in bold.

Carat Gold	Titration	Percentage of Gold
24 Carats Gold	^999/1000th	99,9 %
22 Carats Gold	916.^6/1000th	91,66 %
21.6 Carats Gold	^900/1000th	90 %
21 Carats Gold	^875/1000th	87,5 %
20 Carats Gold	^833/1000th	83,33 %
19 Carats Gold	^791/1000th	79,16 %
18-carat gold	^750/1000th	75 %
17 Carats Gold	^708/1000th	70,83 %
16 Carats Gold	^666/1000th	66,66 %
15 Carats Gold	^625/1000th	62,5 %
14 Carats Gold	^585/1000th	58,55 %
12 Carats Gold	^500/1000th	50 %
10 Carats Gold	^416/1000th	41,66 %
9 Carats Gold	^375/1000th	37,5 %

Here are the differences between the main existing gold carats:

18-carat gold or 750 gold

18-carat or 750 thousandthsgold is the most widely used gold alloy in France. It is composed of 75% pure gold and 25% other metals, usually silver and copper, which influence the color of the gold and increase its rigidity. Abroad,18-carat gold is more commonly stamped 18K or 750. 18-carat gold can be found in every possible form, from jewelry to watches and pen nibs, because its color and rigidity are ideal. What's more, when you buy 18-carat gold jewelry, you're assured of its lasting brilliance, so you don't have to polish it to make it shine again, and you can wear it every day.

14-carat gold or 585 gold

14-carat or 585 thousandthsgold is a gold alloy composed of 58.50% pure gold and 41.50% other metals such as copper and silver. Widely used in countries such as the United States and Greece,14-carat gold retains the visual and conservation properties of gold while reducing the costs associated with the price of gold.

9-carat gold or 375-carat gold

Since the price of gold has skyrocketed, jewelry is increasingly made from9-carat or 375 thousandthsgold. This type of alloy is made up of 37.5% pure gold and 62.50% other metals, reducing manufacturing costs. A piece of 9-carat gold jewelry is therefore less expensive to manufacture, enabling the jeweler to lower the final selling price and/or increase his margin. This is the case for jewelry chains such as Histoire d'Or, or for jewelry sold in supermarkets. Unfortunately, the quality of 9-carat gold also suffers, as the proportion of gold in this carat is low. This means that wearing 9-carat gold jewelry, which is less resistant, can tarnish over time, and that buying back such jewelry for the price of gold will be far less profitable.

24-carat gold or 999 gold

This is the highest carat of gold. In France,24-carat gold can only be purchased in the form of gold bar and bullion. As gold is a very soft precious metal, pure gold objects are exposed to shocks and may be subject to deformation and scratching. This is of no real importance for gold ingots, but much more problematic when it comes to the creation of jewelry in 24-carat gold. Fine gold is commonly used in South and East Asia for gold-yellow jewelry, with the appearance of pure gold appreciated by Asians, and in the form of gold leaf, which is a thin layer of gold used for gilding.
Pure gold in the strict sense of the term does not exist, as gold is impossible to refine to 100%. As a result, most24-carat gold is between ^995/1000th and ^999/1000th gold. The highest gold grade in history is 99.999% gold, produced only by the Royal Canadian Mint, due to extremely costly refining processes.

22-carat gold or 916 gold

22-carat 916 thousandthsgold is composed of 91.60% pure gold and 8.40% other metals. This alloy is mainly used in the United Arab Emirates and India for the manufacture of gold wedding jewelry, where Sovereign gold coins, in the same alloy, are very popular. Essentially composed of gold, jewelry pieces made from this carat gold alloy are easily subject to deformation.

Differences in Value According to Carat Count Gold

Given the price of gold, the purity of the gold used to make jewelry has a direct impact on the final price. As we have seen, the gold carat is used to determine the proportion of gold in a piece of jewelry. The value of a gold object depends on its weight in grams, its gold carat and the value of the gold at appraisal.
To find out the value of a piece of jewelry, simply weigh it and apply a mathematical formula:
(total weight in grams of gold - mass) x (gold title according to gold carat) x(gold price) = value of the object.

However, the result of this calculation is an indicative value based on the value of the gold content only. It does not, therefore, take into account the value of fine stones on a jewel or a jeweler's signature.

Alloying gold with other metals

Gold is the most widely used precious metal in jewelry. The yellow metal is unalterable, and does not tarnish or oxidize. It's therefore ideal for making finely crafted jewelry and refined pieces, rings and wedding bands. However, gold is a soft, supple and therefore malleable metal. In jewelry-making, it is therefore mixed with one or more other metals to increase its rigidity. As a result, this mixture will influence the metal's degree of purity and therefore its gold content.
Gold can take on different hues depending on the type of gold alloy it is made from. Silver and copper are the two main metals used in alloys with gold, but platinum, nickel, zinc and manganese are also used.

How do I know the carat gold content of a piece of jewelry or a coin?

There are several ways to find out the carat number of a gold object. If the gold jewel has a hallmark, compare it with the table of gold hallmarks to find out its gold carat. If not, proceed to the gold test, as for most other gold objects. There are several techniques for determining carat number. The most common is the acid test.
If you have any doubts about the carat number of your gold goods, you can have them tested at our branches.

Where to buy and sell gold in Paris?

Buy and Sell Gold in Paris at the Best Price with Abacor, Precious Metals Specialist. For over 22 years, Abacor has been offering professional gold buying, appraising and selling services. We welcome you to our branches to advise you on investing or to appraise your gold assets. Free advice, free appraisal and no obligation.

Our gold buying and selling experts estimate gold prices in real time, free of charge and with no obligation, so you can be sure of buying and selling your gold at the best price on the gold market.