Carat is the measure of how much a diamond weighs. Diamond carats is often denoted as “carats” or “ct.”.
A carat is a type of weight measure. Diamonds, just like other kinds of gemstones, are weighed using the metric carats.
A carat equals two-tenths of a gram or 200 milligrams, (1 carat = 0.2 grams = 200 milligrams).
Each carat is then divided up into 100 total points. (1 carat = 100 points)
Therefore, a 50-point gemstone can be expected to weigh 0.50 carats or 1/2 of a carat.
The origins of using the carat as a measurement of weight come from the early days of trading when carob seeds were used as counterweights to balance scales for gem traders. These seeds were generally a uniform weight, so their use was something everyone could agree on as a way of measuring weight. Over time, this evolved into the carat weights used today.
The abbreviation of "CT" is used specifically for carat, which refers to the weight of one diamond or gemstone. Example 1 carat will be denoted as 1 CT.
There are carat abbreviations that are single, and abbreviations that are used for total weight, some of them are explained below.
The price of a diamond is calculated by multiplying the diamond carat weight by per carat price. Example if a diamond weighs 0.50 carats and the market price per carat is $2000/carat. Then the 0.50ct diamond will cost you $1000.
Total Carat Weight * Price Per Carat = Diamond Price
0.50ct * $2000 = $1000
Similary, if a diamond weighs 1.50 carats and the market price per carat is $4000/carat. Then the 1.50ct diamond will cost you $6000.
1.50ct * $4000 = $6000
The price per carat varies based on the Diamonds characteristics. The base price per carat is determined using a combination of carat weight, clarity, and color. Other characteristics of the diamond such as cut, fluorescence, polish, etc. can add a premium or discount the base per carat price. The per carat price is dynamic and changes weekly varying based on the demand and supply of Diamonds available globally.
The price per carat is not a linear measure and multiplies exponentially. This is mostly because larger Diamonds are rarer than small ones. So a larger diamond does not only cost more. Its also costs more per carat.
Carat is not to be confused with Karat. Carat, as explained above, is a weight unit of measure for Diamonds and gemstones, while karat is the measure of purity for the precious metal gold. Both of them are pronounced very similarly so one has to be careful when having a verbal discussion to be aware and know the difference. Carat is denoted as (ct) and Metal Karat is denoted as (k). Carat is also not to be confused with a carrot :P
Carat is not to be confused with Karat. Carat, as explained above, is a weight unit of measure for Diamonds and gemstones, while karat is the measure of purity for the precious metal gold. Both of them are pronounced very similarly so one has to be careful when having a verbal discussion to be aware and know the difference. Carat is denoted as (ct) and Metal Karat is denoted as (k). Carat is also not to be confused with a carrot :P
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