DIAMOND CARAT
The Carat of a diamond is refers to the weight of the diamond.
- ct is the abbreviation of Carat Weight
- 1.00ct = 0.20 grams or 200 milligrams
- Carat will also often be referred to as points. In this case 1 'point' is equal to 0.01ct so a 0.60ct diamond would be a 60 pointer.
Carat is a measurement of diamond weight and not diamond size. Having said this, the weight of a diamond is usually relative to the size. A larger Carat weight will mean a larger diamond in most cases.
You can sometimes find that two diamonds with the exact same Carat weight can have slightly different sizes. For instance, two 0.60ct diamonds will not always be exactly the same size.
It should be noted that even where there is a size difference with the same Carat Weight it is only very slight and unnoticeable to the untrained eye.
Diamonds with the same Carat Weight but a different shape will always have different sizes and proportions. For instance, a Princess and Oval diamond, both at 1ct, will always appear different in size.
You can use our interactive diamond size guide below to help visualise how different diamond shapes and weights will look. The menu button to the left of the guide will also provide more information on each diamond shape and weight.
Carat can often be confused with Karat but the two are entirely different. Karat is a measurement of Gold purity. For example, 18 Karat Yellow Gold which consists of 75% gold.
It is often thought that as the Carat weight doubles the diamond will double in size but this is not actually the case. For instance, a 0.80ct diamond is double the weight of a 0.40ct diamond but would not be double the size.
Diamond Carat and Shape
The shape and cut of a diamond is part of what determines how large a diamond appears. This is also the case for Gemstones.
For example, elongated diamond shapes, such as a Marquise can appear larger than a rounded diamond like a Cushion. This is because the elongated Marquise diamond covers more length of the finger.
Choosing elongated diamonds like the Oval, Emerald and Marquise shapes may be a good idea when trying to utilise the Carat weight of a diamond. These shapes are also popular with customers who have longer, more slender fingers as they complement those nicely.
Diamond Carat and Price
The Carat weight of a diamond has the largest effect on the price. There can be a significant jump in the cost of a diamond even just moving up by 0.10ct. For instance, a 1.00ct diamond can be significantly more expensive than a 0.90ct.
If the diamond specifications are the same then a 1.00ct diamond will cost more than that of 0.95ct, however, if the specifications aren't the same and you choose a higher Clarity or Colour grade for the 0.95ct diamond then that could become more expensive than the 1.00ct.
When taking into account the cost of the diamond it is important to consider what is most important to you. For instance, if the size of the diamond is most important to you then you may compromise of the specifications of the diamond and choose a lower Clarity and Colour grade which some customers are more than happy to do providing it allows them to get their desired diamond size.
Some customers don't wish to compromise on the diamond specification at all but would still like the largest carat weight possible within their budget. For these customers we recommend opting for the middle ground on specification like the VS2 Clarity, F Colour and Very Good Cut then choosing the largest Carat weight available within their budget.
In reality, we can provide all of the recommendations possible but it comes down to what you feel will work best for you.
Lab Grown Diamonds are a great option to look at to really get the most for your budget as they do come at a lower price than Natural Diamonds in general. You can read more on Lab Grown Diamonds here.
You can also save on cost by opting for a slightly lower Carat Weight. This general has the biggest impact on the price of the diamond but doesn't always appear visibly different. If you are just moving down by 0.10ct, for instance from 1.00ct to 0.90ct, then the diamonds will appear almost identical in size but with a lower price.
How Carat is displayed
It's always important to look at the way the Carat weight of a ring is displayed.
For Solitaire rings which only have one diamond set into the ring the Carat selection you make is just for that on diamond.
Rings which have side stones or diamonds on the band are named 'solitaire with side stones' online which means the Carat is displayed the same way. The Carat selection you make for these rings is just for the centre diamond. The diamonds on the band are then in addition to this and the Carat weight of those side stones can be found in the product description.
For Halo and Three Stone designs it is the total Carat weight which you are selecting online. This is also the case for earrings.
If you are ever unsure of the way Carat weight is displayed just get in touch and we can clarify that for you. We can also provide the diamond breakdown for any designs where you are selecting the total Carat weight.
Final things to note...
The band width of a ring can affect the appearance of a diamond. For instance, a ring with a thinner band width like 1.8mm can make a diamond appear larger than a ring with a 3mm band width would.
A ring which has a taper towards the diamond can also make the diamond appear larger as the ring gets thinner towards the diamond.
The Carat weight of a diamond tends to have the most visual impact on a diamond of the four C's.
