Carat Weight
Although it is important to consider clarity, color and cut when purchasing a diamond, carat weight is the “C” most likely to determine a diamond’s value. Fortunately, it is the easiest characteristic to measure. The term carat is derivative of the word carob. Carob seeds are similar in weight to each other, so diamonds were originally measured by comparison – one carob seed equaled one carat. A carat is divided into 100 points. So a half-carat diamond is 50 points, and is expressed as 0.50ct. A one-and-three-quarter carat diamond would be 1.75cts.

Although it is true that the larger the diamond, the higher the price, it is not true that a one-carat diamond is twice the price of a half-carat diamond. Larger diamonds are found less frequently in nature, so a one-carat diamond actually costs much more than twice the price of a half-carat diamond of the same quality. Cut and mounting can also make a difference in the price. Remember that quality can be more important than size. A one-carat diamond with high color and clarity values might be more beautiful than a two-carat diamond with lower clarity and color values, despite a much higher cost. It is important to balance your priorities when shopping for a diamond. And remember, the smaller your finger, the larger the diamond will appear!