Carat Weight

Carat Weight

The word "carat" is taken from the carob seeds that people once used to balance scales. The seeds are so uniform in shape and weight that even today's sophisticated instruments cannot detect more than three one-thousandths of a difference between them.

NOTE: "Karat" is a different word that is used to describe he purity of gold.

For a a printable diamond size comparison chart that displays rings on the hand, visit our Diamond Size Chart page.

The process that forms a diamond happens only in very rare circumstances, and typically the natural materials required are found only in small amounts. That means that larger diamonds are found less often than smaller ones.

Large diamonds have a greater cost per carat and the price of a diamond rises exponentionaly to its size (e.g., a 2-carat diamond will cost more per carat than a 1-carat diamond of equal grade).

What Size Diamond Should I Buy?

• Determine your budget. You will hear various guidelines such as "the engagement ring should cost 2-3 months salary", but a better consideration is what can be afforded. There's no reason couples should start a life together with an uncomfortable amount of debt.
• In 2013, couples spent an average of $5,403 USD on an engagement ring. Also in 2013, the average size of the center stone was 1.1 carats.
• Deciding on carat size is really about striking a balance between size, quality, affordability, and personal preference. If she prefers larger jewelry items, and you are working within a budget, you can still find a larger diamond of excellent quality gem by selecting one which is graded slightly lower in terms of color and clarity.
• Remember that slender fingers make small diamonds look bigger. If she has small fingers, a 1-carat diamond will look proportionately large — and an even larger stone may appear stunningly big!
• To get an idea about diamond sizes, download our Diamond Size Chart which shows nine different sizes of diamond from .25 carat through 5 carats.

• Read more about the Four Cs of diamonds...