What is the difference between the two?
Have you ever wondered why a diamond’s weight is expressed as “carat” while the quality of gold is expressed as “karat”?
Karat: Refers to the measurement, of the ratio of gold to other metals or alloys. Karats are measured from 1-24, the higher the number, the higher the gold content. Gold is malleable in its pure state, other metals are added to strengthen it and in some cases to enhance color. An example is “rose gold.” It is comprised of gold and copper to get that rosy pink color.
The most common Karats used in the United states are 10, 14, and 18 karat gold. You may also see markings on your jewelry that say 417, 585, or 750. This number refers to the amount of gold in each piece. For instance, there is 41.7% gold in a 10karat piece of jewelry, therefore 417 is another way of showing that.
Carat: Refers to the unit of weight for gemstones and pearls. This is a universal definition.
The 4c’s
GIA created the 4Cs (Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight) as a universal method for establishing the quality of any diamond, anywhere in the world. The 4Cs means two very important things: diamond quality can be communicated in a universal language, and diamond-buying consumers can know exactly what they are about to purchase.
