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