Gold guide

Gold purity

Fineness is parts per thousand. A higher number does not prove title, authenticity or a GXLD product.

All guidesThe figures
Subject
Fineness
Sections
03
Kind
Education
Product
GXLD Gold only
The corner of a plain gold bar in raking light, the metal itself, not a fineness mark
01

High fineness

  • 999.9

    99.99%

    Four nines. Common on some small bars. Not a universal rule.

  • 999

    99.9%

    Three nines. A metal claim, not a title claim.

  • 995

    99.5%

    LBMA Good Delivery minimum for large bars on that list.

02

Karat marks

  • 916 / 916.7

    22 karat

    22/24 is 0.91666..., often stamped 916 or 916.7.

  • 750

    18 karat

    18/24 is exactly 0.750.

  • 585

    14 karat

    14/24 is 0.58333.... European marks often use 585.

03

Not the same thing

  • Colour

    Alloy

    Yellow, white and rose describe the mix, not a purity scale.

  • Use

    Form

    A bar, a coin and a ring can share a fineness.

  • GXLD

    Not a menu

    These grades are not products you can buy here.

995.0 is the LBMA Good Delivery minimum for large bars. It is not a GXLD accreditation, and 999.9 is not a rule for every bar.

LBMA specifications

Gold guide

Education, not inventory

All three guides