or CARAT, the name of that weight which expresses the degree of fineness that gold is of. The word is also written, carrat, carat, karat, and karat. Its origin is contested: But the most probable opinion is that of Kennet, who derives it from carreta, a term which anciently denoted any weight, and came not till of later days to be appropriated to that which expresses the fineness of gold and the gravity of diamonds.

These carats are not real determinate weights, but only imaginary. The whole mass, be the weight what it will, is conceived to be divided into 24 carats; and as many 24th parts as it contains of pure gold, it is called gold of so many carats, or so many carats fine. Thus, gold of 18 carats is a mixt, of which 18 parts is pure gold, and the other fix an inferior metal, &c. This is the common way of reckoning in Europe, and at the gold mines in the Spanish West Indies, but with some variation in the subdivision of the carat: among us, it is divided into four grains; among the Germans, into 12 parts; and by the French, according to Mr Helot, into 32. The Chinese reckon by a different division called touches, of which the highest number, or that which denotes pure gold, is 100; so that 100 touches correspond to our 24 carats, &c.

CARACT is also a certain weight which goldsmiths and jewellers use wherewith to weigh precious stones and pearls.—In this sense, the word is by some supposed to be derived from the Greek καράτιον, a fruit which the Latins call siliqua, and we carob bean; each of which may weigh about four grains of wheat, whence the Latin siliqua has been used for a weight of four grains. This carat weighs four grains, but they are something lighter than the grains of other weights. Each of these grains is subdivided in \( \frac{1}{4}, \frac{1}{5}, \frac{1}{6}, \frac{1}{7}, \frac{1}{8}, \frac{1}{9}, \frac{1}{10}, \ldots \)