Just wanted to know why there is a limit of 24 gold carats instead of somw round figure like 10 or 100? And how/when was it started?
Here you go, http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/sandra02.htm
It originated with King Croesus of Lydia who made the first ever pur gold coins.
Thanx for the prompt suggestions by t-keela and don’t ask. The matter was really good. But t-keela’s site gives this -
“The measurement uses a base of 24 units. Pure gold is twenty-four twenty-fourths (24/24ths) gold, and is called 24-karat gold”
and don’t ask says -
“This stone came to be known as the touchstone, because goldsmiths rubbed gold objects against it and then compared the mark against a set of 24 needles containing varying proportions of gold, silver, and copper. The 24th needle was pure gold, hence the origin of 24 carat gold”
So, why is the base taken as 24 or why is it that the goldsmiths used a set of 24 needles only?
Actually it gives the historical aspect to your question. How and the when…as far as why 24 instead of 100. No, it doesn’t explain that.
Allright, I’m no expert but I’m going to make an attempt at this.
From what I understand, the ancient standard system of weight measurement was in grains of wheat. 1 carat was equivalent to 4 grains of wheat. What we call pure 24 k. gold is actually not exactly 100% pure it is 99.9% If it was in fact 100% pure then 25karats could be used as an accurate measure.
(25 k x 4gr = 100%)
The perversion of carat to karat meaning weight to % apparently comes from the idea that an English penny has a grain weight of four. Problem w/ that is it is based on a SILVER penny, the French penny was much heavier and the translation didn’t make it across the Channel very well.
As a result we have two different measurements w/ same origins.
Carat vs. Karat
http://www.goldcalculator.com/troy
hope this helps,
Peace
Nitpick -
Nothhing can be absolutely pure. Its an thermodynamic impossibility. You’ll have to do an infinite amount of work to make anything absolutely pure.