Picture this: you’re scrolling through Instagram and you see a stunning ring.  The caption says it has a 2 carat diamond center stone.  Then, you scroll to another ring and it says it is 14 karats.  Does that mean that it has a bigger stone?  The stone in that picture certainly doesn’t look bigger.  No, because carat and karat are different!  It’s amazing the difference that one letter can make. 

These two words are very similar both in sound and in meaning because they are both units of measurement!  Carat is a weight, typically used to describe gemstones.  Specifically, 1 carat is equal to ⅕ of a gram.  So, a 5 carat diamond would weigh 1 gram! 

While carat is a weight, karat is a percentage!  Karat is a percentage out of 24.  For example, 14K (karat) is 14 out of 24 parts.  This is usually the part that confuses people.  The gold that is used in jewelry is typically alloyed, which means that it has been mixed in with other metals to make it stronger, more durable, or give it a slightly different coloring.  Knowing this, the karat measurement makes more sense.  A 14 karat gold ring would be 58% pure gold and 42% other metals, and a 24 karat gold ring would be pure gold!

If you thought this was confusing, wait until you find out that in Europe, they are spelled the same way too! 

Stay in the know, 

Jewelry Girl