Glossary
Carat
Carat is the English-speaking world's measure of gold content, with 24 carat corresponding to pure gold.
Carat (kt or k) expresses gold content in 24 parts. 24 carat is pure gold, corresponding to 999 fineness. 18 carat is 750 gold, 14 carat is 585, 9 carat is 375 and 8 carat is 333. The conversion is simply 1,000 ÷ 24 × the carat number.
It is important not to confuse the meanings. For gold, carat describes fineness; for diamonds and other stones, carat (ct) is weight, at 0.2 grams per carat. The same-sounding terms mean entirely different things and often cause misunderstandings with inherited pieces.
German trade almost always uses hallmarks in parts per thousand, while English-speaking countries use carats. Jewellery from the UK, USA or Turkey therefore often carries 14K, 18K or 22K instead of a three-digit number. Both describe the same thing.
Conversion table with example values
At a gold price of 120,00 € per gram of fine gold, each gram of alloy is worth approximately: 8 carat (333), 39,96 €; 14 carat (585), 70,20 €; 18 carat (750), 90,00 €; and 22 carat (916), 109,92 €.
In this example, a 20 gram, 22 carat Turkish gold necklace has a material value of 2.198,40 €. The payout is 90 to 95 % of that, or approximately 1.978,56 to 2.088,48 €. This is why knowing the carat before selling is worthwhile.
Carat figures when selling in Nordhorn
We convert every carat figure into fineness for you and explain the calculation. Feel free to bring jewellery from abroad: 14K, 18K, 21K and 22K are familiar to us, as is jewellery without any stamp.
If a ring carries only a number such as 417 or 916, it is the same information in parts per thousand, corresponding to 10 or 22 carat. If the stamp does not match the measured material, we tell you openly before quoting a price.