Diamond Carat Weight
Size isn't everything! Ha ha. Well in the case of diamonds, the phrase "Size isn't everything" is often true. There are other things to worry about such as the cut, clarity and colour of the diamond, and even the largest diamond won't look that great if it has a whopping big crack through the centre.
Technical - How Much is a Carat?
So a little bit of technical whiz bang - a carat is a unit of mass used for measuring gems such as diamonds. One carat is 200 milligrams (200 mg). For reference, a typical medicine tablet might be anywhere between 100 and 1000 mg.
People also describe diamond sizes in terms of 'points'. There are one hundred points in a carat. So a fifty (50) point diamond is a half carat diamond.
The article continues below, but in the meantime why not checkout some actual photos of diamonds provided by James Allen, by clicking on the image below:
Actual Diamond Diameters by Carat Weight
This picture shows the (approximate) sizes of various diamond carat weights, for a round (brilliant) cut. The size that these appear on your computer screen will vary depending on how big your monitor is etc... if you want to get a more exact idea of size, pay attention to the 'mm' measurement. This is the diameter (total width) of the diamond, when view from above.
How Does Visual Size Vary with Carat Weight?
This is a very important question, because for a lot of people, a two carat diamond does not appear to be twice as big as a one carat diamond. Why is this? It's because the 'diameter' (how wide the diamond is when viewed from above) isn't twice as big for a diamond with twice the carat weight. The reason for this is because of a relationship between volume and area - the easiest way to explain it is to point out that a person that weighs 100 kilograms is almost never twice as tall as a person who weighs 50 kg.
For example, check out the difference between the 0.5 carat and 0.75 carat diamonds. The 0.75 carat diamond has 50% more mass, but its diameter (5.9 mm) is only 13% larger than for the 0.5 carat diamond (5.2 mm).
Lifestyle Considerations
A huge diamond is nice and all, but it may not suit all lifestyles. For an active lifestyle, you may want to limit the size of the diamond, and also make sure you pick a ring setting that is as secure as possible. Of course, you can always take the ring off during exercise or work, but every time you take the ring off you increase the chances of losing it, which is to be avoided at all costs!
Save Money with Odd Carat Weights
One tactic which can work in some situations is to choose 'odd' carat weights. For example, if your budget can afford a half carat diamond, look for 0.47 - 0.49 carat diamonds. In some stores, there is a price hike at the 'round' numbers such as 0.5 and 1.0 carats.
Match the Hand Type and Size
A diamond looks bigger on a person with small hands and dainty fingers. Make sure you consider this when buying the ring - for people with quite small, dainty fingers, it is possible to get a diamond that is a little too big to look good (although for some people the mere concept of a diamond being 'too big' seems impossible).
To get a feel for diamond carat sizes, you can take a look at the diamonds James Allen has on offer by clicking on the banner below: