| From Carly Wickell, | | | | |
| | | | Larger diamonds are more rare and in more |
| Your Guide to Jewelry / Accessories. | | | | demand than smaller diamonds of the same |
| | | | quality, so they can be sold for a higher |
| FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! | | | | price. A one carat diamond solitaire ring is |
| | | | nearly always more expensive than a diamond |
| A Look at Diamond Carat Weight | | | | ring made up of multiple diamonds that are |
| | | | similar, but smaller, even though they total |
| Carat is the term used to express the weight | | | | one carat or more. |
| of a diamond, with one carat equaling 200 | | | | |
| milligrams of actual weight. | | | | Diamonds that weigh just under the next full |
| | | | carat are typically less expensive than |
| Carat Abbreviations | | | | diamonds passing the full-carat hurdle. In |
| | | | her interview for About Jewelry, Antoinette |
| The abbreviation ct is a shortened way to | | | | Matlins offered this opinion about carat |
| write carat, and refers to the weight of a | | | | weight: |
| single diamond. | | | | |
| | | | "...try to find a diamond that weighs |
| The abbreviation ct TW means carat total | | | | 90-points (9/10ths carat), rather than a full |
| weight, and is used to express the total | | | | 1-carat, or 1.90 carats rather than a full |
| weight of multiple diamonds used in a piece | | | | 2-carats, and so on. When set, no one can see |
| of jewelry. | | | | the difference, but you'll enjoy a big |
| | | | savings in cost." |
| Carat Weight vs. Size | | | | |
| | | | Comparing Diamonds |
| Carat weight is used as a measure for other | | | | |
| gemstones, but different gems of the same | | | | Diamond comparisons are useless unless |
| weight aren't necessarily the same size, | | | | they're made among diamonds with similar |
| because some gemstones are more dense than | | | | qualities and features. |
| others--meaning that they pack more weight | | | | |
| into a smaller space. | | | | Considering the price per carat is a good way |
| | | | to compare the costs of similar diamonds. |
| Weight of Small Diamonds | | | | Divide the cost of each stone by its carat |
| | | | weight to calculate its price per carat. |
| The weight of smaller diamonds is often | | | | |
| expressed as points, not carats. | | | | There is no single visual diagram that can |
| | | | illustrate diamonds of different carat |
| There are 100 points in a carat. Another way | | | | weights, because variations in shape and cut |
| to look at it is to say that each point | | | | make stones of similar weights look very |
| equals 0.01, or one-hundredth, of a carat. | | | | different. A diamond weight estimator, a |
| | | | sheet with cutouts for different diamond |
| Point Examples | | | | shapes and sizes, can help give you a preview |
| | | | of how a diamond's size relates to its carat |
| 0.05 means five one-hundredths, so a 0.05 | | | | weight. |
| carat diamond equals five points. | | | | |
| | | | Carat weight is only one diamond |
| 0.25 means twenty-five one-hundredths, so a | | | | characteristic that you should explore before |
| 0.25 carat diamond equals twenty-five | | | | you buy a diamond. Take some time to |
| points--or one quarter of a carat. | | | | understand more diamond basics before you go |
| | | | shopping. |
| How Carat Weight Affects Value | | | | |