Home Β» Diamond Education Center Β» Carat Weight
Discover
Diamond carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. A metric βcaratβ is defined as 200 milligrams. Each carat can be subdivided into 100 βpoints.’ This allows very precise measurements to the hundredth decimal place.
Prior to the twentieth century, diamonds were measured using carob seeds, which were small and uniform and served as a perfect counter weight to the diamond. The word βcarobβ is the origin of the word βcaratβ that we use today.
A diamantaire may describe the weight of a diamond below one carat by its βpoints’ alone. For instance, the diamantaire may refer to a diamond that weighs 0.25 carats as a βtwenty-five pointer.’ Diamond weights greater than one carat are expressed in carats and decimals. A 1.08 carat stone would be described as βone pointzero eight carats’.
Read aboutΒ diamond cut/polish/symmetry