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Why isn't silver purity noted in karats?

WeissWeiss Posts: 9,935 ✭✭✭✭✭
Long time listener, first time caller. I'll hang up and listen to your answer. Thanks!
We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
--Severian the Lame

Comments

  • trozautrozau Posts: 3,455 ✭✭✭
    Cause it is not gold (same with platinum and palladium). Just a WAG.
    trozau (troy ounce gold)
  • adamlaneusadamlaneus Posts: 6,969 ✭✭✭
    For the same reason there is no Sterling Gold.
  • WeissWeiss Posts: 9,935 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>For the same reason there is no Sterling Gold. >>



    Sterling is a specific purity. Karat is a scale.
    We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
    --Severian the Lame
  • According to Google Definitions, a karat is:

    "the unit of measurement for the proportion of gold in an alloy; 18-karat gold is 75% gold; 24-karat gold is pure gold"

    I guess it only pertains to gold. Period.
    image
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  • guitarwesguitarwes Posts: 9,237 ✭✭✭


    Maybe cuz there's not enough silver alloy things that transact publically to warrent a fractional silver purity scale???

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  • WeissWeiss Posts: 9,935 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Maybe cuz there's not enough silver alloy things that transact publically to warrent a fractional silver purity scale??? >>



    Maybe. But we're all familiar with at least 4 levels of purity:

    40% (65-70 US clad coinage)
    90% (pre-65 US coinage)
    92.5% (sterling)
    .999 pure

    Additionally, Canadian (non-penny) coins from 1920-1966 are 80% pure.
    English coins from 1920-1946 are 50% silver.

    We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
    --Severian the Lame


  • << <i>According to Google Definitions, a karat is:

    "the unit of measurement for the proportion of gold in an alloy; 18-karat gold is 75% gold; 24-karat gold is pure gold"

    I guess it only pertains to gold. Period. >>




    What about diamonds?
  • CladiatorCladiator Posts: 17,918 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>According to Google Definitions, a karat is:

    "the unit of measurement for the proportion of gold in an alloy; 18-karat gold is 75% gold; 24-karat gold is pure gold"

    I guess it only pertains to gold. Period. >>




    What about diamonds? >>

    Spelled differently. For diamonds the word is "carat".

    "Carat Weight
    It is a common misconception that carats refer to the size of a diamond. In reality, a carat is the standard unit of weight by which diamonds are measured. One carat equals 200 milligrams or 0.2 grams.

    Carats are also expressed as points, with one carat equaling 100 points. So a one carat diamond is also referred to as a 100 point diamond."









  • << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>According to Google Definitions, a karat is:

    "the unit of measurement for the proportion of gold in an alloy; 18-karat gold is 75% gold; 24-karat gold is pure gold"

    I guess it only pertains to gold. Period. >>




    What about diamonds? >>

    Spelled differently. For diamonds the word is "carat".

    "Carat Weight
    It is a common misconception that carats refer to the size of a diamond. In reality, a carat is the standard unit of weight by which diamonds are measured. One carat equals 200 milligrams or 0.2 grams.

    Carats are also expressed as points, with one carat equaling 100 points. So a one carat diamond is also referred to as a 100 point diamond."
    >>




    That is interesting, thank you!!
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 45,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Another piece of trivia---The Federal Trade Commission does not allow you to call it gold if it's less than 10K purity.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.

  • roadrunnerroadrunner Posts: 28,303 ✭✭✭✭✭
    At less than 10k purity.......they call it GLD.

    roadrunner
    Barbarous Relic No More, LSCC -GoldSeek--shadow stats--SafeHaven--321gold
  • trozautrozau Posts: 3,455 ✭✭✭


    << <i>At less than 10k purity.......they call it GLD.

    roadrunner >>


    LOL image
    trozau (troy ounce gold)
  • guitarwesguitarwes Posts: 9,237 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Maybe cuz there's not enough silver alloy things that transact publically to warrent a fractional silver purity scale??? >>



    Maybe. But we're all familiar with at least 4 levels of purity:

    40% (65-70 US clad coinage)
    90% (pre-65 US coinage)
    92.5% (sterling)
    .999 pure

    Additionally, Canadian (non-penny) coins from 1920-1966 are 80% pure.
    English coins from 1920-1946 are 50% silver. >>





    40%, 50%, 80%, 90%........that's content, not purity.



    image -> at Roadrunner's comment.



    @ Elite CNC Routing & Woodworks on Facebook. Check out my work.
    Too many positive BST transactions with too many members to list.
  • WeissWeiss Posts: 9,935 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    40%, 50%, 80%, 90%........that's content, not purity.



    image -> at Roadrunner's comment. >>



    I think that's semantics: Purity denotes "a quantitative assessment of homogeneity or uniformity". If you're addressing the specific ratio or percentage of silver in an object and you're not interested in what other materials might be included, you're talking purity. If you're looking for the copper and the silver and the zinc, etc., you're talking content.
    We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
    --Severian the Lame
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