How is a diamond weighed?

In order to determine the carat weight of diamonds, usually loose stones are taken into consideration. However new technologies also allow gemologists to measure the weight of mounted diamonds. One carat is usually measured as 200mg or 1/5 grams or four grainer's.

The term ‘points’ is also frequently used to measure the weight of small diamonds that are lesser than a carat. 100 points make up a carat. Highly sensitive scales in laboratories, allow gemologists to measure the weight of the stone up to three decimal places. Special stone holders are also often used to hold the diamond steadily while it is weighed. Abbreviations of ct and ct TW are used for carat and carat total weight respectively.

Carat weight and size of diamonds

One may assume that like in other materials, a higher carat weight translates to a bigger diamond. However that is not entirely true in the case of diamonds. Size of diamonds is measured by a different parameter which is diameter in round brilliant cut diamonds and in fancy shaped diamonds one must check the specific measurements (height*width*depth).

For example, a 1.00 carat diamond may not look bigger than a 0.90 carat diamond because the diameter of the 0.90 would be 6.3mm and the 1.00 ct would have only 6.2mm. How can it be? Simple, diamond cutters try to make the best out of the rough diamond and to get maximum revenue so if the maximum diameter that the rough diamond has is of 6.2mm a trained diamond manufacture can put the weight in the girdle and in the depth of the diamond and get a 1.00ct diamond good or fair cut instead of a excellent cut diamond that weights 0.90ct, the reason for the reason is money $$$ as you will find out in the next paragraph.

But before you do so check out these results for a fair cut diamond prices to better understand the differences.

Carat weight and cost of diamonds

Carat weight is a key factor in diamond pricing, the difference between a diamond with similar factors like color , clarity and cut grade but with a 0.01 ct difference can be 30%!!!! The key is to know the carat weight groups and to purchase an over-sized diamond, the weight groups are:

After you know your weight groups its time to understand the influence of weight not just on your wallet but also on the appearance of the diamond

Money savers regarding carat

Here are some tips that can help customers make sound decisions while purchasing diamonds.

• Instead of looking for straight weight like 1.00 carat diamond, seek stones that are over-sized in a lower weight group weight like 0.99 ct. This is because a full carat diamond is usually more expensive than one that is slightly lesser than a full carat. Once set in jewelry, the stone looks exactly the same to the naked eye but offers more savings assuming same diameter.
• Make sure your weight is not all in the girdle or the depth of the diamond making you pay extra $$$ for less of a diamond.
• There are a few parameters that will help check if you are getting the most out of the carat weight of your diamond
  • Cut grade - excellent cut grade suggests that the stone has a killer affect and that each point of weight is used to produce a stunning affect.
  • Depth - In round stone above 63% depth suggests that a lot of the weight is concentrated in the depth of the stone making no affect on the appearance.
  • Diameter - the bigger the diameter or the measurements the bigger the affect!

• Don’t be fooled by joined weight - some shops publish the total weight of the ring! You should always check the total weight of a single stone!!!

Finally, after you know about carat you can make a wise purchase and compare between diamonds , there are more helpful tips in our information center and if you want our help please contact us directly and we will do our best to assist you,
Good luck!