TheDoctor
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2005
- Messages
- 371
The English language has many synonyms, but most of them don''t cause anywhere near the confusion that CARAT and KARAT do.
Some European countries long ago adopted numeric designations for gold purity, such as 585 for 14 karat and 750 for 18 karat, etc., which are easily understood as parts per thousand of pure gold in the alloy mix. With (X) Karat being understood as a fraction of 24 (pure) by those in the know, and 10 carat spelled as I have here would be (mis)understood by people in the U.K. as either stone weight or metal purity... you can see how it is that people are sometimes completely mystified when speaking to a jeweller about the various particulars involving jewellery.
Is it just me, or is it time for a change? I''ll use your answers to lobby the industry toward the standardization of the terminology. It''s not for the sake of those who already understand, it''s an effort to make this awkward terminology friendlier for neophytes.
Let''s see what you people think!
Some European countries long ago adopted numeric designations for gold purity, such as 585 for 14 karat and 750 for 18 karat, etc., which are easily understood as parts per thousand of pure gold in the alloy mix. With (X) Karat being understood as a fraction of 24 (pure) by those in the know, and 10 carat spelled as I have here would be (mis)understood by people in the U.K. as either stone weight or metal purity... you can see how it is that people are sometimes completely mystified when speaking to a jeweller about the various particulars involving jewellery.
Is it just me, or is it time for a change? I''ll use your answers to lobby the industry toward the standardization of the terminology. It''s not for the sake of those who already understand, it''s an effort to make this awkward terminology friendlier for neophytes.
Let''s see what you people think!