Carat is the universal measure of how much a diamond weighs, with factors affecting density, depth, formulation, and shape.
Many times it is confused with the size but it is not related to it.
One carat equals 200 milligrams and is subdivided into 100 points.
When purchasing a piece of jewelry, the total carat weight refers to the total weight of all the diamonds in that piece.
THE STORY OF CARATS
The term carat comes from carob bean, as historically gem dealers used carob bean to help weigh gemstones and diamonds due to the belief that there was little variation in their mass distribution.
Measuring diamonds in carats became popular during the Renaissance in the 1570s.
An 'international carat' was proposed in 1871 by the Chambre Syndicale of Jewelers in Paris, then made mandatory by law in France in 1907 and spread throughout the world.
HOW DO YOU WEIGH A DIAMOND?
Carat weight is the most objective part of the 4Cs. The diamond is weighed in grams using a precisely balanced scale capable of measuring extremely small weights.
This figure is then divided by 0.2 to find the carat weight.
One 'carat' is the equivalent of 200 mg and each can be subdivided into 1000 'points', resulting in very accurate measurements down to the hundredth decimal place.
HOW DOES THE PRICE AFFECT THE CARAT?
Carat weight is very important in determining the total price of a diamond. In other words, a painting by an inexperienced artist may be bigger than a Leonardo da Vinci miniature, but it won't be worth more.
