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The CARAT of a diamond

The Carat Of A Diamond

Carat is a measurement of weight for diamonds, not size as is sometimes mistakenly believed. Carat weight affects the price of a diamond more than any other of the 4 C’s. The greater the weight of the diamond the greater its value.

Carat is measured in cts or points. A carat is divided up into 100 points. Therefore a diamond that is 0.5cts is equivalent to 50 points.

A diamond that is twice the size of another can be as much as 4 times the price. Larger diamonds are discovered less often than smaller diamonds, which means large diamonds are more rare and therefore have greater value.


Tips for deciding on which carat diamond to buy
When deciding which diamond to buy there are a few things to consider:


Decide your budget based on how much you are comfortable with spending. We are always happy to help guide you with ways you can maximise your budget.


Carat Weight vs. Quality

If your partner prefers larger items of jewellery, and you are working with a budget, you can purchase a larger diamond that is graded slightly lower in terms of clarity and colour. For example, a 0.50ct D VVS1 will be more expensive than a 0.70ct G SI1 (excellent value grade), even though it is smaller. Opt for the 0.70ct if you think your partner would prefer a larger carat weight over colour and clarity.


Finger size

Slender fingers make smaller diamonds appear larger. A 1-carat diamond will seem proportionately large if worn by someone with very slim fingers.

And lastly, a little something to remember… do not confuse ‘carat weight’ with ‘carat/karat’ which is the method of determining the purity of gold (e.g. 18ct white gold, 18ct yellow gold).