Having read through the other Cs in diamond essentials, it is time to review the last C, which is Carat weight.
Carat weight refers to the weight of a diamond. One carat (not karat, as in gold purity) equals .20 grams. However light they may be, diamonds of a carat and up are extremely rare and can be expensive. In addition, a carat is divided in 100 points for precision when it comes to weight: A 1 carat diamond equals 100 points, a half carat 50, a quarter carat 25, and so on.
For every 10 tons of dirt there are only 1 or 2 carats of diamond. And even so, a rough, gem-quality diamond (most are industrial quality and unfit for jewelry purposes) can lose up to 2/3 of its carat weight in the cutting process.
When shopping for diamonds it is wise to know what you are looking for beforehand. How big do you want the ring to be? Do you want a cluster setting made of multiple diamonds with the illusion of a bigger one? Or do you prefer to have one big center stone? Whatever the answer, it is important to know the value of the diamonds according to their 4Cs.
Carat weight is important because of two things: price and looks. Once you have found the piece that looks exactly like you imagined it, you can only hope the price is right. Sometimes the price will seem higher than we imagined as well. This does not mean you have to give up your hopes and forget about the piece. Most pieces come with different diamond qualities as options; there are always options.
Because of how rare it is to find a rough diamond that is to become a fully cut gem-quality one carat diamond, the price jumps considerably after one carat. Therefore, if you are looking to save some money and want a piece with a stone at around one carat, make sure it below the 100 point mark; it can be anything from 90 points to 99 points, and it will save you 10 to 15 percent compared to the 1 carat diamond.
It is worth noting that the price jump applies to diamonds over 25, 50, and 75 points as well. Basically, these are sizes that have more demand and will sell faster than anything in between. If you do not mind the weight of your diamond as long as it looks amazing, you will save money and shop more intelligently with this strategy. No one is going to weigh your stone and say, “but that´s only 97 points and not a full carat!”; trust me, no one is going to notice the difference.
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