What does 916 gold mean?
916 refers to fineness: 916 parts of pure gold per 1,000 parts of metal, or approximately 91.6% gold purity. It is the millesimal equivalent of 22 karat (22 ÷ 24 = 0.9166…), so "916 gold" and "22K gold" describe the same alloy. The remaining 8.4% is typically copper and silver, added to make the metal hard enough for daily wear.
Saudi gold souks in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam sell mainly 21K and 22K jewellery — 21K being the distinctive regional standard — alongside 18K designer pieces. Shops quote a per-gram rate for each karat, updated through the day, plus workmanship.