Most people have heard of the term diamond, cut, but are not clear on its actual meaning. This term is simply a way of measuring the weight of a diamond; one carat equals 200 milligrams. The abbreviation used for carat is “ct” which is a unit of diamond weight and the abbreviation used for total carat weight is “ct TW” which is only used for a single piece of jewelry consisting of multiple diamonds. Of course, carat weight can be used as a measure for colored gemstones, but colored gemstones are not equivalent in size to diamonds. This is due to the higher density of gemstones, or in other words, the amount of weight in a single space.

Regarding the weight of a diamond, the term used to express it is called points. One carat equals 100 points. Sometimes the weight will be expressed in decimal points. For example, a 0.05 carat diamond equals five points and a 0.25 carat diamond equals 25 points, or 1/4 carat.

The carat weight of a diamond can affect its value. Generally, the larger it is, the rarer it is and the higher its demand compared to a smaller diamond of the same quality; the larger diamond in this case can be sold at a higher price. An excellent example of this sales practice is that a solitaire diamond ring consisting of one carat always costs more than a ring consisting of multiple similar, but smaller diamonds, which also equal a total weight of one carat.

Additionally, diamonds that are less than the next full carat in weight cost less than those that are slightly over the full carat in size. For example, a diamond that weighs 90 carats instead of a full carat, or a diamond that weighs 1.90 instead of two carats, will look the same in terms of size, but the diamond that weighs less will also cost less.

Comparing diamonds is basically a useless practice, except when both diamonds have extremely similar characteristics and qualities. The best method to determine the true value of a diamond is to calculate the price per carat of two or more similar diamonds. This simple equation only requires dividing the cost of each diamond by its carat weight.

Unfortunately, there is no diagram that can fully describe diamonds of various carat weights, as variations in shape and cut make them look different even though they have similar weights. Although carat weight is invaluable to anyone looking to buy a diamond, this information is just one of many factors to consider; It’s important to get a full understanding of diamond basics before walking into your local jewelry store. The website, http://priceofdiamonds.org is a great resource that includes extremely detailed and comprehensive information on buying, selling, and grading diamonds. They also have a table of diamond weights that shows how the size of a diamond is directly related to its weight.