KATHMANDU: With the growing market for modern and lightweight jewellery, people here are switching to 22 carat gold jewellery. In the past, 24 carat gold held great sway among all age groups and all levels of people but with the arrival of new trends and latest designs in the international market, people here are now opting for 22 carat gold.

According to Tej Ratna Shakya, president of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association (NEGOSIDA), due to the craze for modern designs and durability the Nepalese people are opting for 22k now days. The carat (kt) is a measure of the purity of gold alloy. The 24-carat gold is fine (99.9 per cent Au w/w), 18-carat gold is 75 per cent gold while 12-carat gold is 50 per cent gold, and so forth.

“The trend for 22 carat spread from the European countries to Asia and it came to Nepal from India,” said Shakya adding that

though urban people are opting for 22 carat the rural people still prefer 24 carat as they want more traditional jewellery. “The durability of 22 carat is more compared to 24 carat gold as the wear and tear of 22 carat gold is 0.01 laal in a year which is 0.02 laal incase of 24 carat gold,” Shakya said.

According to Shakya, the trend of 22 carat started since 2025 BS but the demand was very little. Currently, the demand for 24 carat and 22 carat shares an equal market. “The 24 carat gold is now only used for the making jewellery with traditional designs and which is heavier compared to 22 carat. It is also more yellowish in colour than 22 carat which has a reddish colour,” Shakya added.

Gold on Wednesday got traded for Rs 31,000 per tola which last broke the

price record with Rs 34,450 per tola on December 3. The growing craze for 22 carat gold jewellery is not due to the increase in the gold price, said Shakya.

Historically, in England the carat was divisible into four grains, and the grain was divisible into four quarts. The carat system is increasingly being complemented or superseded by the millesimal fineness system in which

the purity of precious

metals is denoted by parts per thousand of pure metal in the alloy.

The most common carats used for gold in bullion,

jewellery making and by goldsmiths are: 24 carat (millesimal fineness 999), 22 carat (millesimal fineness 916), 20 carat (millesimal fineness 833), 18 carat (millesimal fineness 750), 15 carat (millesimal fineness 625), 14 carat (millesimal fineness 585), 10 carat (millesimal fineness 417), 9 carat (millesimal fineness 375), 8 carat (millesimal fineness 333) and 1 carat (millesimal fineness 042).

This symbol or stamp is very popular on the gold jewellery business in Asian countries like India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Yemen, and Persian Gulf countries. 22/22K is a

quality mark indicating the purity of gold most popularly used. 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-carat, or 91.67 per cent pure gold. This system is used to show consistency in the quality of the gold.