Diamond Carat
There is a direct correlation between the diamond carat weight and the diameter of a diamond. It’s mathematically impossible for a 0.05 carat diamond to have more surface area than a 1.00 carat diamond. But because cut qualities can vary greatly, there is a vast amount of variance in the range of possible diameters for any given carat weight. So as you can see, while weight should matter to you because it will help determine how much you are going to pay, what you should really be focusing on is the diamond’s cut grade and diameter, which our Illuma Diamond experts can advise.
Carat Origins
According to Wikipedia, the term Diamond Carat comes from the Greek word meaning “fruit of the carob tree.”
In ancient times, the seeds of the carob pod were used as standards for weight measurements, since the size of their seeds were almost always identical. This provided a natural standard of measurement.
In in 1907 at the Fourth General Conference on Weights and Measures, it was agreed that a modern diamond carat should equal precisely 200 milligrams. This is technically known as a metric carat, and is the standard diamond carat weight that is used universally today.The size of a diamond is proportional to its carat weight. When rough diamonds are cut and polished into finished diamonds, up to 2/3 of the total carat weight may be lost. Since larger rough gems of high quality are found less frequently than smaller rough gems of high quality, a single two-carat diamond will be more expensive than two one-carat diamonds of the same quality.
Carat Misconceptions
There are a lot of common misunderstandings about gemstones, and in particular diamonds. The internet has not helped at all as inaccuracies and misconceptions can spread from site to site making it hard to distinguish between truth and fiction. Here are a few common misunderstandings that we have come across over the years.
Every diamond is unique - you only have to sit down with an expert and view a selection of diamonds for your engagement ring to find this out. The internationally recognised grading system for diamonds goes a long way in defining a diamonds' characteristics but there is much about a stone's beauty that cannot be scientifically measured. We would suggest you hear from large scale retailers with a pinch of salt - you really need to look at a selection of diamonds with an expert to find the perfect diamond for your engagement ring.
There is a preconceived notion that by buying your diamond from the internet you are somehow buying 'direct' at wholesale prices and this is entirely false. At Illuma Diamonds, we take pride in offering the best value to our customers and in some instances even beating the prices that are offered online with much better qualities.
While it is of course possible to pay too much for a diamond, the resale value of your engagement ring will always be less than the price you paid because (for obvious reasons) a second hand engagement ring is not necessarily the most desired of objects. If the investment value of your engagement ring is important to you then we suggest you invest in great design and outstanding craftsmanship - both of which we have here at Illuma Diamonds. If you would like more information or to arrange a design consultation please use our Diamond Concierge to tell us your specifications.