Gold Purity Chart: Karat, Hallmark and Percentage
Karat measures how much of an alloy is pure gold, out of 24 parts. The hallmark stamped inside a piece says the same thing as a number out of 1,000.
The conversion table
Format: Karat — purity — hallmark — common use
24K — 99.9% — 999 — bullion; too soft for most jewellery
22K — 91.7% — 916 — traditional South Asian jewellery
21K — 87.5% — 875 — Middle Eastern jewellery
18K — 75.0% — 750 — fine jewellery, richest colour
14K — 58.3% — 585 — the US standard for daily wear
10K — 41.7% — 417 — hardest, most affordable; US legal minimum
9K — 37.5% — 375 — UK legal minimum; not sold as gold in the US
Anything below 10K cannot legally be sold as gold in the United States.
Where to find the hallmark
Inside the band on a ring, near the clasp on a chain or bracelet, and on the post or back of an earring. It is small, so a loupe or phone camera zoom helps. No hallmark on a piece sold as gold is a warning sign.
What the gold in a piece is worth
With gold around $4,284 per troy ounce, pure gold works out at roughly $138 per gram. Multiply by purity:
24K — about $138 per gram
22K — about $126
18K — about $103
14K — about $80
10K — about $57
So a 5 gram 14K chain contains roughly $400 of gold. A plated chain of identical appearance contains a few cents' worth. That difference is the entire argument for solid gold, and it is why plated jewellery has no resale market.
Note that melt value is the metal only. It excludes stones, labour and craftsmanship, and no one will pay you melt value at retail.
Stamps that do not mean solid gold
GP — gold plated
GF or 1/20 14K GF — gold filled
GE or HGE — gold electroplate
Vermeil — gold plated over sterling silver
"Gold tone", "gold finish" — no gold content guaranteed at all
If the stamp includes letters after the karat number, read it carefully. 14K means solid; 14K GF does not.
Which karat to choose
Higher karat means richer colour and better tolerance for sensitive skin. Lower karat means a harder, more scratch-resistant, cheaper piece. See 10K vs 14K vs 18K for the full comparison, or what the karat choice costs for the price difference measured across 784 designs.
Frequently asked questions
What does 585 mean on jewellery?
It means 58.5% gold, which is 14K. Similarly 750 is 18K and 417 is 10K.
Is 24K gold better than 18K?
Purer, but much softer. 24K dents and scratches easily, which is why jewellery is rarely made from it.
What is the minimum karat that counts as gold?
10K in the United States, 9K in the UK.
How can I tell if my jewellery is solid gold?
Look for a karat hallmark, check the weight (gold is dense), and watch for wear at edges revealing a different metal underneath.
Everything we sell is solid gold in 10K, 14K and 18K, hallmarked. Browse everything.
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