The Ultimate Guide to Gold Karats: 24K, 22K, and 18K Explained
Karat is the foundation of every gold transaction you will ever have.
Alok Parmar
June 09, 2026
Article Index
What Is Karat — And What Does the Number Actually Mean?
Karat (K) measures the proportion of pure gold in an alloy, out of 24 parts. Pure gold is 24K — all 24 parts are gold, nothing else. 22K means 22 of 24 parts are gold and 2 parts are other metals. Purity is also expressed as Fineness or percentage — the number of parts per thousand that are pure gold. 22K gold has 916 fineness (91.6%), which means that 916 out of 1,000 parts are gold.
The alloy content is not a flaw. Gold in its pure form is too soft for practical jewellery — it would scratch, bend, and deform within weeks of daily wear. Mixing copper, silver, zinc, or nickel into the alloy makes the piece harder, more durable, and workable into intricate designs. The choice of karat is therefore a functional decision, not just a purity one.
Karat (K) and Carat (ct) are often confused but mean different things. Karat measures the purity of gold (22K, 18K, etc.), while Carat measures the weight of diamonds and gemstones (1 ct = 0.2g).
FUN FACT
The 24-part gold purity system traces back to ancient Roman times, where the Roman gold coin was divided into 24 units called siliquae for measuring purity.
The term Karat later evolved from the Greek word keration (carob seed), used as a weight measure.
Every Karat Grade — At a Glance
Gold karat purity reference table
| Karat | Purity | Gold % | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24K | 999 / 995 | 99.9% / 99.5% | Investment gold, coins, bars, digital gold, bullion trading |
| 22K | 916 | 91.6% | Traditional jewellery, bridal jewellery, daily wear ornaments |
| 20K | 833 | 83.3% | Durable jewellery, regional designs |
| 18K | 750 | 75% | Diamond jewellery, gemstone jewellery, luxury designs |
| 14K | 585 | 58.5% | Lightweight jewellery, modern fashion jewellery |
| 9K | 375 | 37.5% | Budget jewellery, high-durability pieces, mass-market jewellery |
24K, 22K, 18K — What Makes Each One Different
1
24K Gold — The Purest, Not the Most Practical
24K gold is 99.9% / 99.5% pure. There is no higher commercially available standard.
Its limitation is physical: pure gold is extremely soft. A 24K ring would scratch and deform within days of daily wear. This is why 24K is not used for wearable jewellery in any significant quantity. Its rightful domain is investment gold — bars, coins, and digital gold — where the purpose is to hold maximum gold content per gram, not to be worn.
24K gold is commonly available in two fineness standards — 999 and 995. Both are considered 24K gold, with the only difference being purity: 999 gold contains 99.9% gold, while 995 gold contains 99.5% gold, a difference of just 0.4%. The global bullion market usually trades in 995 gold rather than 999. Gold bars used in large-scale trading, storage, and transportation are commonly manufactured at 99.5% purity (995) because the slightly higher alloy content improves durability and handling.
This distinction is important because benchmark prices published by industry platforms such as IBJA are generally based on 995 purity gold rates, not 999 purity. Therefore, the market rate you see is usually for 995 gold.
2
22K Gold — India’s Standard for Jewellery
22K (916 fineness or 91.6% pure) is the dominant gold standard in Indian jewellery. The 8.4% alloy content makes 22K durable.
The resale reality for 22K jewellery: you paid making charges when you bought it. You will not get those back when you sell. The resale price is calculated on pure gold content only at the prevailing 24K benchmark rate. This is not a deduction or a trick. It is simply how gold is valued: on its metal content, not its design.
3
18K Gold — Where Design Beats Purity
18K gold (750 fineness or 75% pure) is chosen when design flexibility and durability matter more than maximum gold content.
Embedded jewellery such as diamond rings, gemstone pendants, studded earrings, and other stone-set pieces are commonly made in 18K gold. The additional alloy content makes 18K harder and stronger, helping it hold stones securely in place.
Note: The easiest way to identify your gold’s purity is by checking the stamp on it. If the jewellery carries a BIS hallmark with an HUID, the stated purity is generally reliable.
But did you know that before BIS hallmarking became standard, several other types of purity stamps and markings were also used? Click the link below to learn more about them.
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Skin Purity vs. Melting Purity — The Distinction That Costs Sellers Money
Skin Purity is the karat quality visible on the surface of the jewellery — the purity the item is sold as and appears to be when worn.
Melting Purity is the actual recoverable purity after the entire piece — including solder, joints, repairs, and other materials — is melted and refined.
Example
A 10g ring sold as 22K has a skin purity of 22K (91.6%).
Expected gold content:
10 × 91.6% = 9.16g pure gold
If the 24K rate is ₹10,000/g, this ring should fetch:
9.16 × 10,000 = ₹91,600
This is the value based on skin purity.
Now assume this same 10g ring was made using:
9g of 22K gold
1g of solder / non-gold material
Recoverable gold:
9 × 91.6% = 8.24g pure gold
Value of gold:
8.24 × 10,000 = ₹82,400
This is the value based on melting purity.
So even though the ring looks like 22K externally (skin purity), the actual recoverable gold after melting is lower because part of the weight comes from solder. This difference between ₹91,600 and ₹82,400 is why melting purity matters during resale.
Lower Karat Does Not Mean Inferior Gold — It Means a Different Purpose
A common misconception is that 18K gold is somehow of lesser quality than 22K. It is not. The gold in an 18K piece is identical to the gold in a 22K piece. The difference is quantity — 75% versus 91.6% — and the purpose that quantity serves.
Gold does not lose its value based on what it is mixed with. When any piece of gold jewellery is eventually melted and refined, the gold content is separated from the alloy, refined to pure form, and the value of that pure gold is what the seller receives. An 18K piece with 7.5g of pure gold per 10g total weight will always yield the value of 7.5g of gold — no more, no less.
The choice between 24K, 22K, and 18K is fundamentally a question of use case:
● If you are buying gold as an investment — 24K (bar, coin, digital gold). Maximum gold per rupee, no making charges, cleanest resale spread.
● If you are buying jewellery for cultural occasions, weddings, or heritage — 22K. Near-pure gold content.
● If you are buying jewellery to wear daily or for intricate diamond-set designs — 18K. Durability wins over purity, and the design justifies the making charges.
To conclude, gold value is ultimately determined by the amount of recoverable gold, not just the weight, design, or karat written on the jewellery. Understanding purity helps buyers make better purchase decisions and sellers receive fair value.
Get the real value of your gold
If you are planning to sell old gold, AsliValue offers doorstep evaluation, transparent purity testing, and instant payment with no hidden charges — helping you understand the true value of your gold before making any decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did three different buyers give me different prices for the same 22K piece?
Three variables shift between buyers: the gold rate they use, how they test purity, and what deductions they apply. One buyer may use a rate that's a day old. Another may read purity at the solder joint rather than the gold body, which pulls the number down. A third may charge separately for melting loss and wastage, which are the same thing with two names. The offers look different, but often the gold rate gap is the smallest part. The bigger differences usually come from deductions you weren't shown itemised.
My old gold has no stamp on it at all — can I still sell it and get a fair price?
Yes. A stamp is a starting point, not the final word. Unstamped gold is common, especially pieces bought before BIS hallmarking became widespread or inherited jewellery from decades ago. What matters is what the testing shows. Any buyer worth dealing with will test the piece directly and base the offer on the actual purity reading, not on the absence of a stamp. At AsliValue, the test happens at your home in front of you, so you see exactly what purity is found before any number is offered.
If my gold has a BIS hallmark, does that mean I'll get the full 22K rate when I sell?
The hallmark confirms the purity of the gold used when the piece was made. It doesn't account for what's happened since. Solder added during repairs, wax fillings in hollow sections, and stone settings all sit inside the total weight but aren't gold. So even a genuine BIS hallmarked 22K piece will typically yield a melted purity slightly below 91.6%. The hallmark protects you from being told your 22K is secretly 18K. It doesn't eliminate deductions for non-gold components, which is a different thing entirely.
How do I know the purity reading I'm shown is accurate and not manipulated?
This is a fair concern and worth taking seriously. The main manipulation risk with purity testing is that the tester reads from a solder joint or a repaired section rather than the gold body itself, which gives a lower purity number. The way to protect yourself is simple: watch where they apply the test. At AsliValue, the testing is done in front of you at your home, with each step explained, so you can see exactly where the reading is taken from.