Have you ever wondered what a gold karat is?  If you are looking to purchase, sell or have your gold appriased it is important that you understand what a karat is.  Gold is usually marked as either 14K, 18K, 10K or 24K.  The K is the symbol for karat.

One Karat means that the object is 1/24 gold or approximately 4% gold. 

The higher the number that precedes the K the more pure gold there is in the object. 

Many then wonder why anyone would by anything but 24K gold.  The answer to this question becomes apparent when we study the nature of gold as a metal.  Metal in it’s purest form is very soft.  If someone is shopping for a gold wedding band they will want the metal to be durable and last for many years and 24K gold would not be the best choice.

There are some countries in Southeast Asia and central Asia that prefer 22 or 24K gold and would view the common 14K gold in America as greatly inferior.