karat etymology

Etymology:

The word "karat" comes from the Greek word "keration," meaning "small weight." It was originally used to describe the weight of a single seed from the carob tree, which was a common unit of weight in the ancient world.

Meaning and Origin:

In the context of precious metals, "karat" refers to the purity of gold or platinum. The karat system was developed in the Middle Ages in Europe, and it is still used today to indicate the amount of pure metal in an alloy.

  • 24-karat gold: 100% pure gold
  • 18-karat gold: 75% pure gold, 25% other metals (usually copper)
  • 14-karat gold: 58.3% pure gold, 41.7% other metals

The higher the karat number, the purer the metal. Pure gold is very soft and malleable, so it is often alloyed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability.

In addition to its use in jewelry, the term "karat" is also used to describe the fineness of platinum. The fineness of platinum is measured on a scale of 0 to 1,000, with 1,000 being pure platinum. For example, platinum with a fineness of 950 is 95% pure platinum.

karat relate terms

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  • karat

    Etymology The word karat comes from the Greek word keration meaning small weight

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