What is a Carat?

Carat (abbreviated ct.) is the standard unit of measurement for the weight of a diamond. One carat equals 0.200 grams or approximately 0.007 ounces. To provide a frame of reference - a very small plastic paper clip weighs about a carat.

Diamonds are weighed to a thousandth (.001) of a carat, and then rounded to the nearest hundredth, or point. A diamond weighing 50 points is called 1/2 carat; one that weighs 75 points is called 3/4 carat. Diamonds weighing more than one carat are measured in carats, plus two decimal places for the points. A diamond weighing 1.07 carats is one carat, plus 7 points.

Carat Weights:
When pricing diamonds, remember that some carat weights are considered 'magic'. A 1.00 carat diamond will cost considerably more than one weighing 0.99 carat, even though there is virtually no difference in size. Other examples of magic weights are: half carat (0.50 ct.), three quarter carat (0.75 ct.), one carat (1.00 ct.), one and a half carats (1.50 ct.), and two carats (2.00 ct.)

Carat Weight And Value
One interesting consideration is the relationship between carat weight, rarity and value. Some are surprised to find that a 2.00 ct. diamond can be worth more than three times a 1.00 ct. diamond of similar clarity, cut and color.

The reason that values increase so rapidly with greater carat weight is really simple: larger diamonds are much rarer than small ones, and rarity drives up the price. So a larger diamond not only costs more, but it also costs more per carat, when compared to a comparable diamond that weighs less.

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