The carat weight of a diamond refers to nothing more than what it weighs. Sometimes this is confused with a diamonds size, but the size of a diamond is a combination of weight & measurements. A carat is equal to 1/5th of a gram. It would take 142 one carat diamonds to equal one ounce. Even a measurement as precise as a carat is not enough. Diamonds are measured to to the thousandth of a carat, & then rounded to the nearest hundredth (or point). A point is 1/100th of a carat. For example, a diamond that weighs one half carat is equal to fifty points.

By international standards, a diamond that weighs 0.999 would be rounded to 1.00cts, but a diamond that weighs 0.998 would be considered a 0.99ct diamond ( a much less expensive stone). As the weight increases so does the price. A larger diamond is much rarer than a smaller one & thus commands a higher price. This is also why diamond cutters try to retain as much weight as possible when fashioning a piece of diamond rough. It is also why a cutter sometimes "cheats a little" to save weight. To make sure you are buying a diamond that does not weigh more than it should, read about the next C, cut.

Overview | Carat Weight | Cut | Clarity | Color