Jewelry Professionals Explain the Difference Between Karats Carats and Carrots Once and for All

The short answer: Karat (K) tells you how much of a piece of jewelry is pure gold, measured in 24ths, so 14K is 14 parts gold out of 24. Carat (ct) tells you how much a gemstone weighs, and one carat is 200 milligrams. A carrot is an orange vegetable and has nothing to do with either, no matter how often the word gets typed by accident.

We are a small, family-run jewelry store, and these three words come up in our customer emails every single week. Nobody should be embarrassed by it. The jewelry trade reuses one word for two different things, the two words sound identical out loud, and autocorrect has strong opinions. So instead of collecting opinions from strangers, here is how our own jewelers explain it to families, in the order people usually ask.

What is a karat?

A karat is a measure of gold purity. Pure gold is 24 karats (24K). Pure gold is very soft, so jewelry makers mix it with other metals such as silver, copper and zinc to make it hard enough to wear. The karat number says how many of the 24 parts are gold:

• 10K gold is 10 parts gold out of 24, or about 41.7% gold. It is the hardest and most affordable of the common solid golds.
• 14K gold is 14 parts out of 24, or about 58.3% gold. It is the most popular choice for fine jewelry because it balances rich color with durability.
• 18K gold is 18 parts out of 24, or 75% gold. The color is deeper and the metal is softer, so it shows scratches sooner.
• 24K gold is pure gold. It is lovely as a bar and impractical as a ring you wear every day.

In the United States, the FTC's Jewelry Guides set out how karat marks may be used, including how a quality mark such as 14K should be accompanied by the maker's mark. That is why you will find tiny stamps like "14K" or "585" inside a ring band.

What is a carat?

A carat is a unit of weight for gemstones. One carat equals 200 milligrams, or one fifth of a gram. A carat is divided into 100 "points," so a quarter-carat stone is 25 points and weighs 50 milligrams. It is a measure of weight, not size. Two stones of the same carat weight can look different on the hand because a deep cut hides weight in the bottom of the stone while a shallow cut spreads the same weight across the top.

The word is a good reminder of how old this trade is. It traces back to the carob seed, which merchants once used as a tiny counterweight. If you want the full picture of how weight fits with cut, color and clarity, GIA's guide to diamond quality factors is the standard reference.

You will often see "ctw" on a tag. It means carat total weight, which is the combined weight of every stone in the piece. A pair of earrings marked 1/2 ctw has two stones that add up to half a carat, so each one is about a quarter carat.

And what is a carrot?

A carrot is a vegetable. We include it because a surprising number of people search for "carrot gold" or "2 carrot diamond," and we want you to find the right answer fast. The correct spelling for American gold is karat, and for gemstones it is carat. One small footnote: in the United Kingdom, Canada and several other places, the gold measure is also spelled "carat." So the spelling splits by country for gold but never for gems.

Can a piece of jewelry have both karats and carats?

Yes, and most diamond jewelry does. The metal has a karat rating and the stones have a carat weight. Here are real examples from our shelves, with the live price on our site the day this was written. Gold prices move, so treat each one as "about."

Karats only (the metal is the story)

• The 10K yellow gold 5mm round stud earrings, about $54. Solid 10K gold with cubic zirconia, so the karat number is the thing to read.
• The 10K yellow gold freshwater cultured pearl endless hoops, about $84.
• The 14K yellow gold cultured pearl studs, about $57. Pearls are sold by millimeter size, not by carat, so the 14K is the number that matters here.

Karats and carats together (the metal and the stone both count)

• The 14K yellow gold 1/10 carat lab-grown diamond studs, about $133. The gold is 14K and the diamonds add up to one tenth of a carat.
• The 14K yellow gold 1/5 carat total weight lab-grown diamond screwback studs, about $152.
• The 14K yellow gold 1/4 carat lab-grown diamond solitaire studs, about $157. Same 14K gold, a larger stone.
• The 14K yellow gold 1/10 ctw lab-grown diamond fashion pendant, about $117.

A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond with the same chemistry as a mined one, and it is measured in carats exactly the same way. Because lab-grown stones cost less per carat, the same budget buys more weight. We label every one clearly as lab-grown.

Which matters more for what I pay: karats or carats?

It depends on the piece. A plain gold chain or hoop is priced mainly on its karat rating and how many grams of metal it contains. A diamond solitaire is priced mainly on its carat weight, plus cut, color and clarity. A diamond stud earring mixes both, which is why two pairs that look the same size can have very different prices.

A few rules of thumb we share with families:

• For everyday wear, choose by karat. 10K and 14K are hard enough for rings and bracelets that take daily knocks. 14K is our most common recommendation.
• For a sparkle gift, choose by carat, then check the cut. A well-cut 1/5 carat stone can look livelier than a poorly cut 1/4 carat.
• For sensitive skin, ask about the alloy. The other metals in gold are where reactions come from, not the gold. Our listings state what each piece is made of.
• For anything that says "gold," check the stamp. A real karat mark, plus a maker's mark, is your proof. "Gold plated" and "gold filled" are different products with different value.

Common mix-ups we see

• "A 2-karat diamond." Diamonds are carats. Gold is karats.
• "A 14-carat gold chain." Fine in the UK. In the US, write 14K or 14 karat.
• "Bigger carat means bigger diamond." Carat is weight. Two diamonds of equal weight can face up at different sizes.
• "Higher karat is always better." 18K is more gold but softer. For a ring worn daily, 14K often lasts better.
• "Carrot" for either word. Only if you are shopping for a snack.

Browse more in our earrings, necklaces and diamond earrings collections, where every listing states the karat and, when there are stones, the carat weight.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between karat and carat?

Karat measures the purity of gold, in 24ths. Carat measures the weight of a gemstone, where one carat is 200 milligrams. They share a root word but measure two different things.

Is 14K gold real gold?

Yes. 14K gold is solid gold that is 14 parts gold out of 24, or about 58.3% gold. The rest is other metals that make it durable enough for daily wear.

How many points are in a carat?

One hundred. A 25-point diamond weighs 0.25 carat, which is 50 milligrams.

Does a bigger carat weight always mean a bigger-looking diamond?

Not always. Carat measures weight, and cut and shape affect how large a stone looks from the top. Ask for the millimeter measurement if size matters to you.

Is a carrot a unit of measurement in jewelry?

No. A carrot is a vegetable. If you see it in a jewelry listing, it is almost certainly a typo for karat (gold) or carat (gemstones).