fineness

gold and silver

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June 26, 2026

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Fineness refers to the purity of a metal, particularly gold and silver, often expressed in parts per thousand. For gold, fineness is measured in karats, where pure gold is 24 karats. For example, 14-karat gold means 14 parts gold and 10 parts other metals. This system originated from medieval practices where gold was alloyed with harder metals for coinage.12

Coinage has specific fineness standards, such as .900 fine for U.S. coins or 11/12 fine for British gold coins. Silver also has fineness standards for coinage, like .900 fine in the U.S.. The term fineness can also describe exquisite quality, purity, or delicacy in other contexts.341

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gold processing
Assaying
“Fineness” refers to parts per thousand of gold in an alloy; e.g., three-nines fine would correspond to gold of 99.9 percent purity.
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“Fineness” refers to parts per thousand of gold in an alloy; e.g., three-nines fine would correspond to gold of 99.9 percent purity.
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silver
Properties, uses, and occurrence
…is stated in terms of fineness, which means parts of silver per thousand of the alloy. Sterling silver contains 92.5 percent of silver and 7.5 percent of another metal, usually copper; i.e., it has a fineness of 925. Jewelry silver is an alloy containing 80 percent silver and 20 percent…
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…is stated in terms of fineness, which means parts of silver per thousand of the alloy. Sterling silver contains 92.5 percent of silver and 7.5 percent of another metal, usually copper; i.e., it has a fineness of 925. Jewelry silver is an alloy containing 80 percent silver and 20 percent…
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