Gold is referred to in karats, with this in mind it is important to understand the relation of the karat to the amount of gold contained in the jewelry.
| Karat | Meaning | Stamp on Jewelry | Alternate Name | |
| 24k |
24 in 24 parts = 100% gold |
.999 | or | gold 100 |
| 18k |
18 in 24 parts = 75% gold |
.750 | or | gold 750 |
| 14k |
14 in 24 parts = 58.3% gold |
.583 | or | gold 583 |
| 10k |
10 in 24 parts = 41.7% gold |
.417 | or | gold 417 |
(White gold is an alloy that consists of palladium and gold with full 18, 14, or 10 karat gold rating.)