When buying a diamond, you
really need to spend some time
learning about diamonds - the 4
C's - cut, clarity, color and
carat. There is a very
sophisticated method for grading
diamonds and, if you don't spend
the time to learn it, you could
be very disappointed in the
results of your purchase!
CARAT
Diamonds and other gemstones are
measured in carat weight. One
carat equals 1/5th of a gram.
You might hear the term points
in reference to diamond weight.
There are 100 points in a carat.
For example, a 75 point diamond
weighs ? of a carat.
The rough material for larger
diamonds is more difficult to
find than those for smaller
diamonds. This affects the
pricing structure of diamonds
and for this reason larger
diamonds generally cost more per
carat. It is important to
understand that the price per
carat of diamonds rises
proportionately with size.
Prices per carat change at
certain size thresholds. For
example, the price per carat
will be less for a .90 F VS2
Hearts & Arrows diamond than the
price per carat for a 1.00 F
VS2, which will be less than the
price per carat for a 1.50 F VS2
diamond, even though the color
and clarity are the same. If the
diamond of your dreams is above
your intended budget, you may
want to think about purchasing a
diamond of the same color and
clarity just under the threshold
of the weight that you have in
mind. |
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