A unit of weight for precious stones and pearls, equal to 200 milligrams. Also refers to a measure of gold purity, with 24 carats being pure gold.
From Greek 'keration' (carob seed) through Arabic 'qirat'. Ancient merchants used uniform carob seeds as standard weights for precious stones. The word entered European languages through medieval trade networks.
The carat system originated because carob seeds have remarkably consistent weight - nature's own precision instrument! A 5-carat diamond weighs exactly one gram, and the Hope Diamond weighs 45.52 carats, making it heavier than a nickel.
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