What does it mean when gold has 188k and 10k on it?

The markings "188k" and "10k" refer to the purity of gold in a piece of jewelry. "188k" indicates that the item contains 18.8 parts gold out of 24 total parts, which is approximately 78.3% pure gold, while "10k" signifies that the item contains 10 parts gold out of 24, or about 41.7% pure gold. These markings help consumers understand the quality and value of the gold content in the item.