Diamond Carat | The 4 C’s Buyer’s Guide

Carat = Diamond Weight

Carat is the familiar term that describes the weight of a diamond. When creating custom engagement rings, it is very important to understand carat gradings. A 1 Carat Diamond Ring contains a diamond that weighs 0.2 grams. A 5 carat diamond ring contains a diamond that weighs 1.0 grams.

Shop for loose diamonds based on carat @ Blue Nile:

1 Carat Diamond Ring Size and Diamond Carat Weight

The size of a diamond is proportional to its carat weight but not definite for each diamond. When the rough of a diamond is cut, up to 2/3 of the total carat weight may is lost. The majority of the rough is sacrificed because it yields the best quality diamonds.

Consequently, large diamonds are much rarer than small ones because it is easier to get small carat quality cuts. For example, single two-carat diamonds are more expensive than two one-carat diamonds.

This is so because one large quality cut diamond is much harder to obtain than a bunch of small carat diamonds. In the United States, the average engagement ring diamond sold is less than 1/2 carat in weight.

A diamond increases in weight much faster than it increases in actual “face-up” diameter. For example, while an ideal cut one-carat diamond is 6 mm in width, a diamond of twice its weight measures only 7.8 mm wide. This is approximately than a 30% increase.

Go to the home page to learn more about 1 carat diamond ring shopping.