Gold traditionally finds its use in Ornaments, its fineness is of utmost importance. Karat is the percentage of Gold in a piece of metal expressed in fraction of 24th's.

For example, 22 Karat means( 99.95 x 22) / 24 Gold =91.6% , that is, Karat purity is measured as 24 times the pure mass divided by the total mass.

Gold Karat Chart:

Purest Gold - The purest form of gold is of 24 Karat and it doesn't go above it. It contains around 99.95% of pure gold and therefore is highly valued. Pure gold is generally soft and highly malleable. Thus, 24 karat gold isn't normally used in making jewelry or other intricate objects.Gold in its purest form is soft and particularly unsuitable for making jewelry. Therefore other metals which are more durable are added to gold in order to make it sturdy. It is the adulterated gold that is used in jewelry making.

22 Karat Gold - In karat scale, 22 karat comes right after 24 karat with purity quotient of 91.6%. It is the commonly used gold Karat in jewelry. Buyers prefer buying gold jewelry of 22 karat because these have high resale and appreciation values. This is still very soft and deemed unsuitable for stone set jewelry and is used only in pure gold jewelry (read gold-only, without stones).

18 Karat Gold- The ratio of gold to other alloy metals is 3:1 in 18 karat gold. It contains 75% of pure gold. As it is harder than 22 Karat gold, it is commonly used gold type in creating gemstone studded and diamond jewelry. White metals are added to gold to create white gold and copper is added for making rose gold. 18kt gold has a natural and warmer tone and is expensive than 14karat and 9karat gold.

14 Karat and 9 Karat Gold- 14kt and 9kt gold contain 58.5% and 37.5% pure gold respectively. The presence of higher percentage of other metals makes these affordable options for buyers. These two types are also commonly used in making jewelries.

14kt gold has a natural and warm yellow hue than 9kt gold which makes it a popular choice whereas 9 kt gold has a pale yellow hue but due to higher percentage of other metals, it is the most durable and therefore most suitable for jewelry making.

Hallmark - Hallmark is the sign of purity of gold. It is the gradation method introduced by BIS in 2000 in determining purity of gold that is sold in the market. Before the gradation system was introduced, buyers had to rely on the words of the seller while buying gold. But, now the gold is tested in BIS authorized lab and stamped for purity. This has helped in standardizing the quality of gold in the market and also determining value of the gold during resale or appreciation.

To receive the best value for their money, buyers are advised to buy only hallmarked gold jewelry.