Carats & karats

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Carats and Karats apply to different things depending on if you are in the UK or the USA.

In the USA 'Carats' apply to the weight of gemstones and 'Karats' to the purity level of gold. The are abbreviated with ct or kt

In the UK we spell 'Carat' with a c whether or not we are talking about gemstones or gold and when abbreviated they are written as ct. For example 18ct gold.

However they signify exactly the same as in the USA, The measurements of stones and purity levels in gold are measured by the same criteria on both sides of the Atlantic.