When buying a pendant ring, carat weight is often considered the most important criterion when choosing a diamond.
But what does a 1 carat diamond really mean when you hear people say it describes the ring? Does a diamond with a higher carat weight always look bigger?
Technically speaking, one carat is equal to 200 milligrams or 100 points. If you bought a 1 carat stone, that means you bought yourself exactly 0.2 grams of diamond.
Furthermore, many people have the misconception that a diamond with a higher carat weight always looks bigger. The truth is far from it.
A brief history of carat weight and its origins
If you’re like many people, you might wonder why diamond weight is measured in carats. Doesn’t the use of SI units like the kilogram or its derivatives better describe the weight of something so precious?
Why is the gram not used; what is the unit of measurement we are familiar with from our daily activities?
Well, the history behind this is quite interesting. The word carat actually comes from carob; which refers to the carob tree that produces edible pods. Merchants used to use seeds from the carob tree, which had a uniform weight.
Remember that high-tech weighing equipment did not exist then. At that time, one carat weighed the same as a carob seed, and trades were made on the basis of this simple comparison.
As you might have imagined, carob seeds varied in size and everyone used different references depending on where on the planet you were. In the 1890s, if you bought a “one carat diamond”, the weight could actually vary anywhere between 0.94 – 1.06 metric carats!
That’s a huge amount of uncertainty, given the large sums of money paid for a single stone.
Much has changed since ancient times. Although highly sensitive electronic weighing devices have replaced carob seeds, the industry persisted in using carats as a term to describe the weight of a diamond.
Why is the carat weight of diamonds considered the most important factor?
I am sure you are aware of this situation. What is the first reaction or question that comes to mind when you hear about a new diamond jewellery purchase?
Undoubtedly questions related to the topic “What is the carat size/weight of a diamond?” would immediately come to mind. The reason for this is that the size of a diamond directly corresponds to the value and price of the jewellery.
And in many societies, it is an indication of a person’s status and wealth. In addition, the mass media and advertising campaigns have suggested that most of us believe that bigger is always better.
Adverts with catchy phrases such as “Make a woman fall in love with a 1 carat diamond”, “Love is as big as your ring” etc…. are all clever marketing tactics used by jewellery companies to create a desire to buy bigger rings.
In fact, clichéd movie catchphrases such as “If you loved me, you would have bought me a bigger diamond” had been used so much that the underlying meaning was mentally etched in most people’s memories.
1 important thing you need to know about carats
The truth is that jewellers know that diamonds sell for more when they exceed known sizes. It’s no coincidence that most diamonds on the market are cut to keep as much of their original weight as possible at the expense of clarity and beauty.
How often have you seen stones that weigh 0.48 or 0.98 carats? Such stones are rare oddities because they are below the “magic size” for which you can get more money.
Instead, you’ll find that most stones are usually cut to nice numbers, like 0.50 or 1.00 carats. Most of the time this is done at the expense of cut quality, as cutters try to keep as much of the original weight as possible.
Therefore, do not be misled into choosing the largest possible stone. This is one of the most common and yet most serious mistakes many first-time buyers make. Before focusing on the carat size of the diamond, other factors such as cut, colour and clarity should also be considered.
You can use the following carat size charts and tables to visualise the physical size of a diamond. These charts are really useful if you are new to diamond shopping and want accurate dimensions in relation to the corresponding weight.
Currently, the standard 57-sided round brilliant cut is the most popular shape choice. Optimised for clarity and clarity, rounded brilliant cut diamonds account for over 60% of all diamonds sold worldwide..
We want to address a common misconception people have when buying diamonds. Just because a diamond is twice as heavy as another stone does not mean that it looks twice as big as another.
As you can see above, a one carat diamond is approximately 6.5mm in size (based on the assumption that the stone is cut to ideal proportions). On the other hand, a 0.5 carat diamond is about 5.2 mm in size. Even though the carats weigh 50% of a one carat stone, it is not twice the size!
Similarly, the physical size of a 2 carat diamond (diameter 8.2 mm) is not twice the size of a 1 carat diamond (diameter 6.5 mm). Hopefully this will clear up the misunderstanding between carat weight and actual size.
Does a larger carat weight necessarily mean that the diamond looks bigger? No.
Does a higher carat weight result in a diamond that looks more beautiful? No.
Does a higher carat weight correspond to a diamond with a better sparkle? No.
Based on your choice, I think the answer is very clear which diamond you choose.
The thing to remember about this is clear; if you fall in love with a particular gemstone, make sure your decision is not based solely on size. In our opinion, the cut is the most important thing. Simply having a better cut will give you the advantages of the other 3Cs in the mix.