What is
a Carat?
As a general rule, diamonds are measured
in what's known as Carat-Weight. One carat weighs approximately 200
milligrams. A 'grain' is another commonly used term in the diamond
business, and is measured as one-fourth of a carat. Consequently, if
a diamond is referred to as weighing four grains, this means it is a
one-carat diamond. The word carat is derived from the word carob,
which is a bean found on trees in the Mediterranean region.
Historically, the carob bean was used as a comparison tool for
describing the carat-weight of a diamond. In simpler terms, diamonds
weighing the same as a standard sized carob bean were said to weigh
one carob, which became one carat as time passed.
Let's look at it a different way. In the
far east and the Orient, where carob trees are not found, rice was
used to measure the weights of diamonds. Diamonds were measured by
grains of rice. Four standard rice grains equaled one carat.
The majority of diamonds purchased today
weigh about one-third of a carat. These include solitaires as well as
the smaller diamonds found on clustered rings.
Carat-Weight Warning
Be careful when shopping for diamonds
which are already set or mounted. If multiple diamonds are used, the
tag on piece will often display the Carat Total Weight (CTW). This
does not tell you the carat weight of each individual diamond. Ask
the salesperson or manager to tell you the carat weight of the
largest diamond. If they can provide documentation, even better.
Thanks for reading this article on
diamond carat-weights. If you want to learn more about diamonds and
diamond rings, I encourage you to keep looking around this site, and
bookmark it for regular updates.
|
