A karat says how much of an alloy is pure gold. Pure gold is called 24 karat, so each karat is one twenty-fourth.
| Karat | Fineness | Pure gold |
|---|---|---|
| 24K | 999 | almost 100% |
| 22K | 916 | 91.6% |
| 21K | 875 | 87.5% |
| 18K | 750 | 75% |
Why 18 karat?
Pure gold is soft and marks easily. In 18 karat gold, three quarters gold is alloyed with other metals so that it is harder, holds a stone more securely and keeps its polish. Yellow, white and rose gold get their colour from the same alloy.
The pieces on this site
The Saberian pieces on this site are 18 karat gold (750), and each piece's karat is written on its own page.