Karat vs Carat
Are you confused about which term is right? Karat vs Carat both are the right terms but they are used to specify gold and stones but refer to different things.
Have you ever wondered why gold jewelry is labeled as Karats while diamond jewelry is measured in carats? These two similar words actually refer to completely different things and help you to understand and be informed when buying precious jewelry.
Carat of diamond
What is Carat?
A carat is used to measure the weight of gemstones such as diamonds and other jewelry gemstone. The size of a gemstone is calculated in millimeters.
Origin: Where Does the Term Carat Come From?
In ancient times when measurement tools were not available for weighing gemstones, they turned to the crob tree seed. Each carob seed weighs the same as the small gemstone. The seed was called as a standard to weigh one carat.
How to Convert Carat to Gram
1 Carat = 0.2 g
1 Gram = 5 car, ct
Example: convert 15 car, ct to g:
15 car, ct = 15 × 0.2 g = 3 g
karat of gold
What is karat?
Karat measures the purity of gold. 24k gold is 100% pure. Pure gold is soft and can easily bent, scratched, or damaged. To make beautiful jewelry mixing other metals such as silver, copper, and zinc makes the gold harder. If a piece of jewelry is 18K, it means 18/24 parts gold (75% of pure gold and 25% of other metals).
Origin: Where Does the Term karat Come From?
“Karat” word comes from carob seeds for measuring weight and has a long history of “kerátion” The Greek word “kerátion” means carob seed. In the old days people, used Carob seeds were used as measure for weight because they tell the exact unchanging size. Karat is used to know the amount of gold purity.
What is the differences between karat and carat?
| Factors | Karat (K or Kt) | Carat (ct) |
| Description | Measures the purity of gold. | Measures the weight of the gemstone. |
| Origin | From medieval Latin “Caratus” and Arabic “Qirat” | From Greek Keration carob tree seeds. |
| Usage | Used for gold fineness. | Used for precious gemstones and pearls. |
| Properties | Higher karats are softer and malleable | Carat weight affects value with other factors (cut, color, clarity) |
| Appearance | Higher karats have a richer yellow color | Carat weight affects gemstone size |
| Common uses | Jewelry, coins, and gold bars. | Gemstones and pearl jewelry. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Conclusion
Many people get stuck between the terms Karat vs Carat associated with gold and stones. Now we hope that after reading this article your confusion will be clear. Let us know if you have any further queries.
