Carat (mass)

The carat (ct) is a unit of mass equal to 200 mg (0.2 g; 0.007055 oz) and is used for measuring gemstones and pearls. The current definition, sometimes known as the metric carat, was adopted in 1907 at the Fourth General Conference on Weights and Measures, and soon afterwards in many countries around the world. The carat is divisible into one hundred points of two milligrams each. Other subdivisions, and slightly different mass values, have been used in the past in different locations.

In terms of diamonds, a paragon is a flawless stone of at least 100 carats (20 g).

The ANSI X.12 EDI standard abbreviation for the carat is CD.

Etymology

First attested in English in the mid-15th century, the word carat came from Italian carato, which came from Greek kerátion (κεράτιον) meaning carob seed (literally "small horn") and potentially from Arabic qīrāṭ (قيراط). (diminutive of - keras, "horn") and was a unit of weight though it was not likely used to measure gold in classical times. The Latin word for carat is siliqua. This common belief that carat derives from carob seeds stems from the assumption that the seeds had unusually low variability in mass.

Massé

Massé is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include:

See also

Massé, a billiards cueing technique - see Glossary of cue sports terms#massé

Massè

Massè is an arrondissement in the Plateau department of Benin. It is an administrative division under the jurisdiction of the commune of Adja-Ouèrè. According to the population census conducted by the Institut National de la Statistique Benin on February 15, 2002, the arrondissement had a total population of 16,902.

References

Coordinates: 7°09′28″N 2°32′37″E / 7.15778°N 2.54361°E / 7.15778; 2.54361

Mass in B minor

The Mass in B minor (BWV 232) by Johann Sebastian Bach is a musical setting of the complete Ordinary of the Latin Mass. The work was one of Bach's last compositions, not completed until 1749, the year before his death. Much of the Mass gave new form to vocal music that Bach had composed throughout his career, dating back (in the case of the "Crucifixus") to 1714, but extensively revised. To complete the work, in the late 1740s Bach composed new sections of the Credo such as "Et incarnatus est".

It was unusual for composers working in the Lutheran tradition to compose a Missa tota and Bach's motivations remain a matter of scholarly debate. The Mass was never performed in its entirety during Bach's lifetime; the first documented complete performance took place in 1859. Since the nineteenth century it has been widely hailed as one of the greatest compositions in musical history, and today it is frequently performed and recorded.Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach archived this work as the Great Catholic Mass.