Understanding Carat Weight In Diamonds
When you purchase a piece of diamond jewelry, it shouldn't just be a case of looking at the price tag. Knowing a few key terms will help you make an informed decision. Although diamonds are graded on what is known as the 4 Cs - clarity, cut, color, and carat - it is inevitably diamond carat weight that is the focus for most buyers, especially if you are buying a piece of jewelry with a center diamond.
Diamond shape, diamond color, and gemstone clarity, while having a major influence on valuation and overall diamond quality within the diamond industry tend to take a back seat to carat for the consumer.
The weight of diamonds is something that is pretty much uniform and non-negotiable in terms of determining a price factor. Unlike things like clarity, balance between color or different shapes like round cut diamonds or emerald cut diamonds, the unit of weight is universal, and the weight of diamonds can never be a subjective element of an assessment.
To help you understand this unit of measurement and the wider world of diamond carat size charts and how it influences diamond price, here is our handy diamond carat guide.
The Definition Of Carat Weight
First off, let's clarify carat and karat. They are two distinctly different terms even though pronounced the same. They are not interchangeable.
Karat with a k refers to the purity of gold and is not in any way related to precious stones. It is abbreviated to Kt.
Carat with a c is the name given to the unit of measurement for diamond weight.
Today, this weight system is globally accepted but it all began with a carob seed. Early gem traders used the seeds (which come from the Carob tree in the Mediterranean that has fruit in pods with multiple but uniformly sized seeds) as counterweights on their balance scales. The seed weight was calculated and standardized to 200 milligrams and the carat weight was born.
One metric carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams, or more familiarly 0.2 grams. The subdivision of a carat is known as a point. There are 100 points in one carat. This enables measurements to be extremely accurate and can be so precise to be quoted to the hundredth decimal place. Jewelers often refer to diamonds in points rather than carats so a diamond that weighs 0.5 carts will be a 50 pointer. Typically, the weight of stones of more than one carat is expressed in carats and decimals.
The obvious rule of thumb when it comes to diamond certification is that larger diamonds have higher carat weights. The unit of measurement is applied to natural diamonds and lab diamonds. To the carat digital scale, there is no difference between the two types of stones.
Relationship With Size
In general, it makes sense that the higher carat weight has a direct correlation with a larger size diamond, but there are a few other factors that will have an impact on the visual appearance of a piece of diamond jewelry.
Depending on the cut of the stone itself, some diamonds that are slightly smaller in carat weight might just appear the same size or even slightly larger in some cases. This is definitely something to consider and examine when you are trying to find a stone that best suits your budget.
What comes into play here are what are known as "magic sizes". These are the "quarter carats" - one quarter, one half etc. There may be no perceptible visual difference between a 0.95 carat and 1 carat stone but prices jump every quarter of a carat so you need to beware of jewelers who price at the next quarter carat level up rather than the lower.
Increments
Diamond weighing is an extremely precise science and this means that there are lots of size increases and increments involved in the precise scales.
When it comes to diamond size on a visual eye level, it should be noted that such small changes in carat weight might not always be visually significant. You can end up saving cash by dropping down a quarter carat here and there without changing the visual impact of your jewelry.
Pricing Impact
Carat weight obviously significantly affects the price of a diamond. Larger, high-quality diamonds are obviously rarer and therefore command a higher price tag, but it isn't the only thing that determines the final estimate of a diamond's worth.
As carat weight increases, you will start to see a big price difference between the small and the large. A simple way to circumvent this logical jump in price is to opt for lab-created diamonds instead where the market allows for greater freedom between weight and price.
Visual Perception
Something important to note is that carat weight on its own doesn't necessarily determine the overall visual appeal of a diamond. A well-cut diamond might appear to be larger than it actually is thanks to extra shimmer, sparkle and brilliance compared to a poorly cut stone of exactly the same weight.
The main thing to keep in mind when browsing for stones is that a larger stone might not always be the most visually appealing.
Proportions Matter
The proportions of a diamond can affect how it reflects the light, and the light is the element that helps to create the much-desired brilliance and sparkle. Diamond cutters can enhance the look of stone, emphasizing its visual size and making almost an optical illusion difference to the overall appearance.
Diamond Shape
Different types of diamond shapes can have varying impact in terms of size perception. For example, more elongated shapes of fancy diamonds like marquise, emerald, oval or pear, may appear to be visually larger than a round diamond of exactly the same carat weight when seen on the finger. This is something to consider when picking out which type of diamond shape is going to be best for your budget.
Balancing The 4 Cs
As we have already mentioned, carat weight is just one of the diamond 4Cs that come together to determine the quality and value of a diamond. You can meet your budget by playing with the balance scales of carat weight, cut, color and clarity, offsetting the Cs against each other for the optimal mix.
Finger shape is also something to consider because if you have small hands, you can get away with a smaller carat weight without it looking like your jewelry is underwhelming in terms of size.
Personal Preference
The ideal carat weight is always going to depend on a mix of personal taste and budget. Depending on what kind of person you are and what kind of jewelry, say a diamond engagement ring, you are looking for. Some will choose to prioritise size whereas others will choose to prioritise higher quality or specific shape.
The thing to remember is that there is no real magic size for all, so don't be guided by what somebody else has. A one-carat diamond might be better for you than a five-carat diamond!
Certification
In terms of knowing who to trust when it comes to buying diamonds, it is always recommended to buy stones that have been assessed and certified by reputable gemological laboratories. This certification will include the all important fact of accurate carat weight.
A diamond certificate provides all the information that you need about the attributes of the stone in question.
Overall Importance
The thing to remember overall is that while carat weight is a significant factor, it is essential to consider the entire package. The best diamond is always going to be a combination of appearance, cut quality, clarity, color and general personal preference for the piece of jewelry. The ideal size is going to be different for everyone, so don't put all of your efforts into one single C when there are 4 to consider!