What 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K and 24K Mean
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The little number stamped on your gold tells you a lot. It is the single biggest factor in what your gold is worth, and once you understand it, nothing about selling gold feels like a mystery.
Karat, simply
Pure gold is soft. Too soft, on its own, to survive daily wear as a ring or a chain. So it gets mixed with tougher metals like copper, silver, and zinc. Karat is the scale that tells you how much of that mix is actually gold, measured in 24 parts.
Think of it as parts out of 24. If 18 of the 24 parts are gold, it is 18 karat. If only 10 parts are gold, it is 10 karat. Simple as that.
The karat chart
| Karat | Pure gold | Stamp you may see | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24K | 99.9% | 999 | Pure gold, soft, rich yellow |
| 22K | 91.6% | 916 | High purity, popular in coins and imported jewelry |
| 18K | 75.0% | 750 | Fine jewelry, strong color, durable |
| 14K | 58.5% | 585 | The most common in the U.S., great balance of gold and strength |
| 10K | 41.7% | 417 | The most durable, the legal minimum to be called gold in the U.S. |
What those three-digit stamps mean
Alongside a karat mark, a lot of jewelry carries a three-digit number. That is the European way of showing purity, written as a decimal.
A piece stamped 585 is 58.5% gold, the same as 14K. A 750 stamp means 75% gold, the same as 18K. A 417 is 41.7%, the same as 10K, and 999 is pure gold. Same information, different language.
Why karat matters when you sell
When you sell gold, you are paid for the pure gold inside the piece, not its total weight. Two chains can weigh exactly the same, but if one is 18K and the other is 10K, the 18K chain holds far more pure gold, so it is worth more.
This is why knowing the karat is step one in any honest evaluation. At Coin Mart, we confirm the karat of every piece in front of you before we ever talk numbers, so you always know what you actually have. See how we test gold →
Karat is only one of the three inputs behind an offer, alongside weight and the daily market price. See how your gold's value is calculated →
A note on gold color
Yellow, white, and rose gold can all be the same karat. The color comes from the metals mixed in, not the amount of gold. White gold gets its look from metals like palladium and a rhodium finish. Rose gold gets its warmth from copper. A 14K piece is 58.5% gold whether it is yellow, white, or rose.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is higher karat always better?
- Not always. Higher karat means more pure gold and more value, though it also makes a piece softer. Many people choose 14K for everyday jewelry because it holds up better to daily wear.
- What is the most common gold karat in the U.S.?
- 14K. It offers a strong balance between gold content and durability, which is why so much American jewelry is made in it.
- What does 585 mean on my ring?
- It means the piece is 58.5% pure gold, which is the same as 14 karat.
- Does the karat change how much I get paid?
- Yes. You are paid for the pure gold in the piece. A higher karat holds more pure gold, so it is worth more per gram.
- Can gold be less than 10K?
- It can contain some gold, but in the U.S. it cannot legally be sold as "gold" below 10K. Pieces below that are usually gold-plated or gold-filled rather than solid gold.
Visit Coin Mart Jewelry
📍 396 E St, Chula Vista, CA · Est. 1959
Not sure what karat you have? Bring your pieces in and we will confirm it in front of you, no appointment needed.