|
Diamond carat is used to measure the weight of the diamond. Providedall other Cs (cut, clarity and color) are equal, the larger thediamond, the more would be its carat weight and the higher would be itscost as seen on these selected results.Much goes into weighing a diamond and understanding how carat weightrelates to size and cost of diamonds. Given below are the key conceptsof understanding the importance of carat and how customers can buy thebest diamonds for their money.
" alt="Big Diamond" style="margin: 5px" align="middle" title="1 Carat Diamond" /> 
How is a diamond weighed? The answer would be carat!
In order to determine the carat weight of diamonds, usually loosestones are taken into consideration. However new technologies alsoallow gemologists to measure the weight of mounted diamonds. One caratis usually measured as 200mg or 1/5 grams or four grainer's.
The term‘points’ is also frequently used to measure the weight of smalldiamonds that are lesser than a carat. 100 points make up a carat.Highly sensitive scales in laboratories, allow gemologists to measurethe weight of the stone up to three decimal places. Special stoneholders are also often used to hold the diamond steadily while it isweighed. Abbreviations of ct and ct TW are used for carat and carattotal weight respectively.
Carat weight and size of diamonds
One may assume that like in other materials, a higher carat weighttranslates to a bigger diamond. However that is not entirely true inthe case of diamonds. Size of diamonds is measured by a differentparameter which is diameter in round brilliant cut diamonds and infancy shaped diamonds one must check the specific measurements(height*width*depth).
For example, a 1.00 carat diamond may not lookbigger than a 0.90 carat diamond because the diameter of the 0.90 wouldbe 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 toget maximum revenue so if the maximum diameter that the rough diamondhas is of 6.2mm a trained diamond manufacture can put the weight in thegirdle and in the depth of the diamond and get a 1.00ct diamond good orfair cut instead of a excellent cut diamond that weights 0.90ct, thereason for the reason is money $$$ as you will find out in the nextparagraph.
But before you do so check out these results for a fair cut diamond prices to better understand the differences.
Carat weight and cost of diamonds
Carat weight is a key factor in diamond pricing, the difference betweena diamond with similar factors like color , clarity and cut grade butwith a 0.01 ct difference can be 30%!!!! The key is to know the caratweight groups and to purchase an over-sized diamond, the weight groupsare:
| From |
To |
| 0.01 |
0.03 |
| 0.04 |
0.07 |
| 0.08 |
0.14 |
| 0.15 |
0.17 |
| 0.18 |
0.22 |
| 0.23 |
0.29 |
| 0.30 |
0.37 |
| 0.38 |
0.45 |
| 0.46 |
0.49 |
| 0.50 |
0.69 |
| 0.70 |
0.89 |
| 0.90 |
0.99 |
| 1.00 |
1.49 |
| 1.50 |
1.99 |
| 2.00 |
2.99 |
| 3.00 |
3.99 |
| 4.00 |
4.99 |
| 5.00 |
+5.99 |
After you know your weight groups its time to understand the influenceof weight not just on your wallet but also on the appearance of thediamond
Money savers regarding carat
Here are some tips that can help customers make sound decisions while purchasing diamonds.
- Instead of looking for straight weight like 1.00 carat diamond, seek stones that are over-sized in a lower weight group weight like 0.99 ct. This is because a full carat diamond is usually more expensive than one that is slightly lesser than a full carat. Once set in jewelry, the stone looks exactly the same to the naked eye but offers more savings assuming same diameter.
- Make sure your weight is not all in the girdle or the depth of the diamond making you pay extra $$$ 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 andcompare 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! |