Terminology
22/22K - a quality mark indicating the purity of gold most popularly used in India. This purity was adapted and practiced by the big jewellers and was later passed to jewel smiths. The first 22 signifies the "Skin purity", the purity of the top layer of the gold jewelry, and the second 22 signifies that after melting purity of the gold jewellery will be 22-karat, or 91.67% of pure gold. This system is used to show consistency in the quality of the gold.
This practice was pioneered and introduced in the early mid-1980s by Nemichand Bamalwa & Sons of Kolkata, India, sparking a revolution in India, as it forced jewellers to indicate correctly the after-melting purity. Heightened consumer awareness made it a most sought-after stamp or quality mark.
This symbol or stamp can be found in such Asian countries as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Yemen, and Persian Gulf countries.
International caratages of gold jewellery
| Region | Typical caratage (fineness) |
|---|---|
| Arabic countries, Far East (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan), Malaysia, Indonesia | 24-karat "Chuk Kam" (99.0% min) |
| Arabic countries, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka | 22-karat (91.6%) |
| Arabic countries in the Persian Gulf region | 21-carat (87.5%), 18-karat (75.0%) in most Egypt |
| Europe - Southern / Portugal | 19.2-karat (80.0%) |
| Europe - Southern / Mediterranean | 18-karat (75.0%) |
| Europe - Northern Germany etc. | 8- to 18-karat (33.3 - 75.0%) |
| Russia/former USSR | 9- (37.5%) and 14-karat/old 583 and new 585 проба (58.5%) |
| United Kingdom | 9-carat to 22 carat (37.5-91.6%) |
| United States, Canada | 10-karat to 18-karat (41.7-75%) |
Read more about this topic: Carat (purity)