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What is 24 karat gold?

24 karat gold is pure gold. The term "karat" refers to the percentage of gold, versus the percentage of other metals, in an alloy (an alloy is a substance made of two or more metals). Since gold is too soft to be usable in its purest form, it is usually combined with other metals.

Karatage	Percentage of fine gold
24	100
22	91.75
18	75
14	58.5
12	50.25
10	42
9	37.8
8	33.75

Source: Rovin, Jeff. Laws of Order, p. 32.

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