Diamonds and other gemstones are measured in terms of carats. The carat is a unit of weight, not size. It is equivalent to 1/5th of a gram. In addition, the industry often refers to carats in terms of points. There are 100 points in a carat, so if a jeweler states that a stone weight 75 points, that means it weighs 75/100th of a carat or 3/4 carat.
The term carat is unique to gemstones, and not to be confused with the term karat, which is used to describe the percentage of gold in a piece of jewelry. Pure gold is 24 karat or 24K, but is too soft and hence, too easily damaged, to be worn for everyday use. To increase the strength and durability of the gold, it is usually combined with other metals such as copper, silver, nickel or zinc. The resulting combination is referred to as an alloy. Different proportions of these alloys produce Rose, Green and White Gold.
18K gold is 18/24 parts gold or 75% gold. It is also quite soft and sc4ratches rather easily. 14K, gold is 58.5 % gold and produces almost the same richness of 18K without being too soft. 10K is just over 41% gold and in the United States, is the minimum percent required for a piece to be call gold.
Virtually all of the pieces in the Lannyte Collection are14K due to the rich color and its ability to consistently wear well.