Have you ever picked up a ring or a chain that had a small number or marking in it?
Well, chances are that these numbers or markings are the actual karats of the jewelry that you have. A karat is a form of measurement or tool that is used to determine the purity of the gold inside jewelry or bullion (aka gold bars). The karat system can be described as a scale in which the highest karat possible is 24 karats. The most common karats used in the United States is 14K gold; which is considered to be very low quality, since it contains roughly 58.33% of pure gold (hence why 14K gold jewelry is often stamped as .583/.584) and the other 41.66% is a mixture of different metals and alloys.
To determine the gold percentage of a certain karat, some simple math must be used. In order to find the percentage, you will need to divide the number of the karat that is stamped on the jewelry piece by 24 and then you will need to multiply that result by 100 in order to get the percentage.
For example, I wanted to know how much is pure gold is in my 21K gold jewelry. Well the easiest way to do it is to divide 21 by 24. 21/24=0.875 which means the amount of pure gold present in 21K gold jewelry is about 87.50% which is considered to be on the right side of the pure gold spectrum!
Now, why is 21K gold so special? the answer to that lies in the Middle Eastern culture and heritage. 21K gold has become a staple at ceremonies, parties, gatherings, feasts, and above all, weddings!
The people of the Middle East became so fascinated by 21K gold jewelry that it became a cultural norm. Literally everyone from an Arab country and surroundings has heard the term 21K before, but often look at you funny if you mention anything below it. 21K gold has also brought many people together through countless smiles and stories; but personally, I think it's the color and uniqueness that pulls people in.