Learning the Basics of Carats

Among the most common popular terms when discussing diamond rings and various other custom diamond jewelry is “carat.” This is always what you hear about in the movies, and it’s the first question we often receive at AAA Jewelers as well.

What does carat mean, and what makes it important when you’re considering a diamond purchase? Let’s take a look.

Carat Definition

Very simply, carat refers to the size of a stone. In the diamond industry, it’s used to measure the exact weight of the diamond. Even the tiniest variations in size here can cause large gaps in the price and quality level of the stone.

The term “carat” has been used for centuries. In the ancient times, diamonds were weighed against carob seeds to judge their weight – carob seeds are always the same size, so they were thought to be accurate baselines for weighing diamonds. The term was altered slightly to become “carat,” and became a permanent industry designation.

One-Carat Margin

Because of how carats have come to be perceived in popular culture, there’s an interesting crux point when it comes to their pricing. Reaching one full carat in a diamond ring purchase is considered something of a status item – for this reason, stones just at or over one carat will cost significantly more than stones that come in at just under one carat. For this reason, if you’re looking to get the biggest stone possible but also stick to a budget (and if you don’t mind being slightly under a round number), buying just under a full carat can be a good way to go.

More Than Weight

Carat weight is a very important consideration, but there are others to be aware of as well. A diamond with double the carats of another could still be worth less due to these other factors, so they must be taken into account. Also, be aware that stones rise in value exponentially – four smaller stones with a combined carat weight equal to a single larger stone will still not be worth as much cumulatively as the larger stone is worth.

Want to learn more about carats, or any of our diamond ring or custom jewelry services? The experts at AAA Jewelers are standing by to assist you.