What Does it Weigh
The two common weight scales used for gold jewelry or other precious metal jewelry is pennyweight and gram. Pennyweight is abbreviated DWT and gram is usually abbreviated with a g. There are 1.555 grams to a DWT and 20 DWT in an ounce. There are 31.103 grams in an ounce. Many jewelers prefer using pennyweight as the math is simpler.
Although the weight of a piece of jewelry is a large determining factor in its price because of the high price of the metals in it, it is not the only determining factor. The price of actually making the piece can often be more than the price of the metal itself. Such things as machine made chain can have a far lower production cost and thus cost less per gram or DWT than a chain that’s handmade. Polishing, finishing and assembling the finished piece of jewelry also factor into the final price.
Knowing the weight of a piece of jewelry can help you compare apples to apples. Just remember, not all things are created equal so the price per weight will vary from piece to piece.
