GEMSTONES & DIAMOND CARATS How to Measure

Diamonds and other gemstones weighed in metric carats: one carat is equal to 0.2 grams about the same weight as a paperclip.  (Don’t confuse carat with Karat, as in “18K gold,” which refer to gold purity.)

Just as a dollar is divided into 100 pennies, a carat is divided into 100 points.  For example a 50-point diamond weights 0.50 carats.  But two diamonds of equal weight can have very different values depending on the other members of the Four C’s:  clarity, color and cut.  The majority of diamonds used in fine jewelry weight one carat or less.

Because even a fraction of a carat can make a considerable difference in cost, precision is crucial.  In the diamond industry, weight is often measured to the hundred thousandths of a carat, and rounded to a hundredth of a carat.  Diamond weights greater than one carat are expressed in carats and decimals.  (For instance, a 1.08 ct. stone would be described as “one point of eight,” or “one of eight.”) Buy from top designer and jeweler in downtown Los Angeles LA Diamond Mart California