What is Diamond Carat?

The carat is a unit of weight used for precious stones. In 1913 carat weight was measured against the metric system, with 1 carat equalling 0.2 grams or 0.007 ounces. Within the diamond trade, fractions of a carat are referred to as "points" or simply as fractions. A 50-point diamond weighs 0.5 carats or 1/2 carat. A 1-carat diamond weighs 100 points while a 1/3 is also 0.3 carats or 30 points.

Diamonds come in all shapes and sizes, along with colours and purities. The larger the diamond the rarer it is. Therefore, the cost per carat of a larger diamond will be higher than that of a smaller diamond of the same colour, clarity and cut. The price per carat of diamonds rises proportionally with size – the price per carat gets increased by the carat weight. To determine a diamond's size, the carat weight of a stone must be measured on a special scale.