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.
Norwegian jewellery has traditionally used 14K (585) gold — the standard for classic pieces like bunad silver-and-gold accessories — with 18K used in finer jewellery. 22K/916 gold is uncommon and mostly imported.