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Cut | Colour | Clarity | Carat

CARAT

The weight of a diamond is expressed in carats. The one carat weight measurement is broken down into 100 equal parts called 'points', so that 50 points equals 1/2 a carat, 75 points is the same as 3/4 of a carat, and so on. One carat is equal to 0.2 grams.

It is important to understand that carat measures weight, not size; however the following table gives the ideal size of certain weights of modern round brilliant cut diamonds of ideal proportions.

Weight : Diameter
(carat) : (mm)
0.25 : 4.2
0.50 : 5.2
0.75 : 5.9
1.00 : 6.5
1.25 : 7.0
1.50 : 7.5
1.75 : 7.9
2.00 : 8.2

Also remember that a heavier stone does not guarantee you a better diamond. A substantial stone will not be very valuable if it is very yellow or poorly cut. But if it is a quality diamond, weight will make an enormous difference to its price.

This is because a diamond's weight, like the other quality grades, is a question of rarity. To give you an idea of just how rare a one-carat diamond is, it can take 250 tons of diamond-bearing ore to generate a single one-carat diamond of gem quality. Therefore, a one-carat stone is worth far more than double that of a half-carat stone of equal quality.

Even a one-point difference in a diamond's weight can dramatically affect its value, particularly when it means the difference between a 100-point diamond and a 99-point diamond.

 

© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2008 - Diamond Rings

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