What is gold karat?
Karat describes the proportion of pure gold in an alloy. Higher-karat gold has a higher percentage of gold, while jewelry is often mixed with other metals for strength and color.
- 24K: approximately 99.9% pure gold
- 22K: approximately 91.7% gold
- 18K: 75% gold
- 14K: approximately 58.3% gold
- 10K: approximately 41.7% gold
Purity, weight, and market value
A simple educational estimate for pure gold content is:
An offer may differ from an estimated metal value because of testing, refining and processing costs, market conditions, and business margins. Gold prices fluctuate, so avoid relying on a static number online.
Details that can matter
Plated and filled jewelry
Gold-plated items have a thin layer of gold over another material. Gold-filled jewelry has a thicker bonded layer. Neither is the same as solid gold, and testing helps determine what an item contains.
Hallmarks and ounces
Common marks such as 10K, 14K, 18K, or 750 can offer clues, but marks are not a substitute for evaluation. Precious metals are commonly measured in troy ounces, which are different from ordinary household ounces.
Collector value
Some coins have value beyond their metal content because of rarity, condition, history, or demand. That is one reason an in-person look matters.