CARAT

The carat is the standard used to measure diamond weight. Carat weight is the easiest of the 4 Cs to determine and is the most objective. It involves no estimates, comparisons, or judgments. Large diamonds are more rare than smaller ones, and as the carat weight increases, the value of the diamond also increases. However, the increase is not proportionate to the size. For example, a one-carat diamond will cost more that twice that of a ½ -carat diamond (assuming color, clarity, and cut are identical).

One carat weighs about the same as a small paper clip, or 0.2 grams. Just as a dollar is divided into 100 pennies, a carat is divided into 100 points, which means that a diamond of 50 points weighs 0.50 carats.  Weight does not always enhance the value of a diamond.  Two diamonds of equal weight may be unequal in value, depending on other determining factors such as cut, color, and clarity.

Because even a fraction of a carat can represent a considerable difference in cost when purchasing diamonds, exact precision is crucial. In the diamond industry, weight is measured to a thousandth of a carat and rounded to the nearest hundredth. Each hundredth is called a point (a 0.25 ct. diamond would be called a “twenty-five pointer”). Diamond weights greater than one carat are expressed in carats and decimals. (For instance, a 1.08 ct. stone would be described as “one point oh eight carats,” or “one oh eight.”)