4Cs - Diamond Carat (Weight)

The word carat is often a source of confusion in the world of gems and jewellery. Mainly because the precious metal gold is measured by the same sounding term ‘karat’: which is a measure of gold jewellery alloy content (e.g. 18K. 24K). In the world of gemstones, and notably in the world of diamonds a carat is a unit of measure that is used to identify the weight of a gemstone. ‘Carat’ is a diamond industry special word for the weight of a diamond stone. If one wonders how the carat system of the measure came about, it is curious to know that it all started with the lowly carob seed: the seed of a plant that is found predominately in the Middle East. Gem traders from ancient times used these type of seeds, owing to their small, predominantly uniform size, and were used as counterweights when balancing the scales in their trade for other goods. Things have come a long way since, as today the carat (ct) of the gemstone is analysed by using advanced electronic measures.

Diamond Carat Factors to Keep in Mind

The carat is a fixed unit of measure, and is standard that is the same weight anywhere else is applied.  01 carat is = 200 milligrams or 0.2 grams. So it means we are dealing with small numbers, with decimal places at times being a deciding factor in the quality, and price of the diamond. To make things a bit more complicated (or easy), carat is not an indication of its size. The carat of a diamond should not be mistaken for a diamond's size. The carat of a gemstone may be higher depending on the type of gemstone. For example, sapphires tend to have a higher weight than for a small size, so a single carat diamond will be bigger in contrast to a single carat sapphire.

The Other Cs Matter

Like anything when it comes to the world of gemstones, the carat of the gemstone must be studied in light of other factors. The 4Cs including the Cut, Colour, Clarity and the Carat work together in determining diamond quality. A solid cut diamond, with decent colour but too small (i.e. low carat) is bound to be weaker, or at best will remain an accent stone. On the other large diamond (i.e. high carat) with a poor cut, one that does not help accentuate its qualities like brilliance and scintillation, will maintain its greater carat, but will lose out in the value scales owing to other weaknesses. In the world of diamonds, size does matter, but it is a quality that must be viewed in relation to others.

Tips for Selecting the Right Diamond Carat

When it comes to buying diamonds, often the process involves buying the gemstone as a part of a jewellery item, like an engagement ring. When it comes to diamonds, we know size really matter, but so does the cost and the colour and many other factors. Here are some important points to keep in mind when going for a diamond with a solid carat.

Diamond Carat Affordability: The 1.00 Carat Threshold

Price is often the key factor that drives the purchasing of a diamond. Whilst the temptation is to go for a larger carat, however, this naturally commands a higher price. In the world of precious stones, the principle is, the larger the stone the higher its price. A carat diamond whilst generally more expensive, this cost can be offset in other areas, such as having a lower level of clarity or lower colour grade. Diamonds whose carat that fall into the 0.25ct to 1.00ct range are often a solid choice, provided they score well in the areas of colour and cut. A brilliant-cut diamond at 0.50 carat with good colour will command a high price. A key factor to consider is the 1.00-carat mark, for as expert jewellers will tell you when a diamond hits that key mark, the value and price of the gemstone will start to grow exponentially. Hence jewellers tend to get creative, as they push diamonds that verge closer, and closer to the 1.00-carat mark. For the price-conscious, staying below the 1.00-carat mark is important.

Diamond Carat and Ring Type

Since larger diamonds (i.e. larger carat) are more expensive, it is best to tailor your choice by studying other attributes of the engagement ring upon which it would be mounted on. Certain engagement ring styles, like cathedral type engagement rings, accentuate the visibility of the gemstone, hence a larger diamond is better suited. The same also applies to solitaire engagements rings which place greater emphasis on the centre stone. Whereas certain rings styles like cluster engagement rings are better suited for engagement rings with a smaller centre stone. Whereas the opposite applies to the other varieties. Another often overlooked factor is the type of fingers of the wearer: for depending on the breadth of the finger a larger carat will be more suitable.