Gold Stater is a gold-price tracker for the Egyptian market that lets you follow every karat in pounds and grams. This guide explains the difference between 18K, 21K, and 24K gold and how to pick the right karat for your goal.
What does "karat" actually mean?
Karat is the proportion of pure gold in a bar or piece of jewelry. Fully pure gold is called 24K and contains roughly 99.9% gold. The other karats blend gold with other metals (copper, silver, zinc) to harden it and make it workable. The lower the karat number, the less gold and the more other metal.
Pure-gold content per karat
- 24K: 99.9% pure gold. Very soft, not suited to daily-wear jewelry.
- 22K: 91.6% gold. Common in savings bars and some rings.
- 21K: 87.5% gold. The most popular karat in the Egyptian market for jewelry.
- 18K: 75.0% gold. Common in European gold and some heavy jewelry pieces.
- 14K: 58.3% gold. Less common locally, used more in accessories.
How do you choose the right karat?
It depends on the purpose. If you are buying for savings, 24K or 22K are best because they sit closest to pure gold and their price tracks the global ounce directly. If you are buying jewelry for daily wear, 21K is the optimal choice in Egypt because it is harder and more scratch-resistant, costs a little less than 24K, and still holds a high gold ratio.
18K is useful for large pieces and intricate designs that need extra hardness. 14K is not common in Egypt because its gold content is low, and it is used more in thin chains or accessories.
Is the price gap between karats fair?
In theory, price should be proportional to gold content. So the 18K price is roughly the 24K price multiplied by 0.75, after adding workmanship and tax. You can track the live price of each karat on our page and compare for yourself. In practice the dealer also factors in the cost of fabrication: the more complex the piece, the higher the workmanship regardless of karat.
Does workmanship differ between karats?
Yes. 21K usually carries higher workmanship on everyday jewelry because it is the most in demand. 18K may carry higher workmanship on European branded pieces. 24K sits near the raw bar price so its workmanship is relatively lower.
What sets the base price of each karat?
The base price depends on two things: the global ounce price (we track it from goldapi.io) and the USD/EGP exchange rate (from exchangerate-api.com). The Gold Division of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce publishes an indicative per-gram price recalculated from those two values. That is why the price moves through the day with global markets and the dollar.
How do you verify the karat before buying?
1. Official hallmark: every gold piece sold in Egypt must carry the stamp of the Assay and Weights Authority next to the karat number. Look for a small stamp inside the piece.
2. Acid test at the shop: a trusted dealer puts a drop of test acid on a small spot, and the color change indicates the karat.
3. Assay and Weights Authority: if you do not trust a piece, an official test there is cheap and legally certified.
What is the pure-gold weight per gram of each karat?
A common question: "how many grams of 24K equal one gram of 18K?" The answer: one gram of 18K contains 0.75 grams of pure gold. The same rule applies to every conversion: 21K is 0.875, 18K is 0.75, 14K is 0.583. When selling, the dealer converts the weight to a pure-gold equivalent before applying the buy price.
Conclusion
Choose the karat by purpose. For savings: 24K or 22K. For daily wear: 21K. For intricate designs: 18K. Follow the live price for any karat on the gold price page to buy at a sensible time.
Sources
- goldapi.io (global ounce reference price, last verified 2026-04-29)
- exchangerate-api.com (daily USD rate)
- Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, Gold Division (indicative prices)
- Egyptian Assay and Weights Authority (karat standards and testing)
- World Gold Council (international karat guidance)
- LBMA (international gold bar standards)