One of the best parts of watch Bering Sea Gold is the gold weigh at the end of most episodes. Watching that gold pile up on the scale can be exciting, or heartbreaking, depending on what the scale says. Mike Rowe reads the scale total with some witty little quip about how the crew did and then we see a season total at the end of the episode for each dredge. What they don’t make clear on the show is that those totals are in troy ounces, not regular ounces.

What’s a troy ounce and how is it different? Let’s take a look.

Imagine you just found some shiny gold while panning on your Alaskan vacation. You want to sell it, but you need to know how much it weighs. This is where the difference between a regular ounce and a troy ounce comes into play.

A troy ounce is a unit of weight commonly used to measure the mass of precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum. The name “troy” comes from the medieval market town of Troyes in France, which was a major center for trade in these precious metals.

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One troy ounce is equal to 31.1034768 grams, which is slightly different from the regular ounce that is commonly used in most everyday measurements. A regular ounce, also known as an avoirdupois ounce, is the type of ounce we use to measure everyday items like food and goods. It weighs approximately 28.3495 grams. This makes a troy ounce about 10% heavier than a regular ounce.

Precious metals have been traded and valued by weight for thousands of years, and the troy ounce has become the standard unit of measurement for these materials because of its long history and widespread use.

So, when it comes to selling your gold, you’ll want to know how much it weighs in troy ounces. This is because the troy ounce is the standard unit of measurement for precious metals, and it provides a consistent and standardized way of evaluating its value. This makes it easier for buyers and sellers to have a consistent unit of measurement as regular ounces can vary between countries and regions.

To sum it up, the difference between a regular ounce and a troy ounce is their intended use and weight. A regular ounce is used for everyday items, while a troy ounce is specifically designed for measuring the weight of precious metals like gold. By using a troy ounce, you can accurately determine the value of your gold and make sure you get a fair price when you sell it.

Now that you know how to weigh your gold, find out how to test its purity.