Diamond - Carats

Once you've determined what cut, colour, and clarity grade you're looking for in a diamond, it's easy to determine the carat weight of diamond that will fit within your budget.

When diamonds are mined, large gems are discovered much less frequently than small ones, which makes large diamonds much more valuable. In fact, diamond prices rise exponentially with carat weight. So, a 2-carat diamond of a given quality is always worth more than two 1-carat diamonds of the same quality.

Several ways to express 1 carat"
1 ct.
200 milligrams
1/5 gram
4 grainer

What Carat Size Is Best?

To choose the best carat weight of diamond, consider her style, the size of her finger, the size of your setting, and your budget.

* If you have a set budget, explore all your options and you'll find that there is a wide range of diamond carat weights and qualities available in your price range.

* If your recipient is very active or not used to wearing jewellery, she may find herself bumping or nicking her new ring. Consider a smaller diamond or a setting that protects the diamond from getting knocked against doors and counters.

* Also keep in mind that the smaller the finger, the larger the diamond will appear. A 1½-carat diamond solitaire looks much larger on a size J finger than a size P.

* If you have already chosen a setting, make sure you choose a diamond to fit.

* Look for the diamond size specifications of your ring or ask your Delphi Diamonds professional what size diamond you should look for.

* Finally, if a large carat weight is important to you, yet you're working within a budget, consider a diamond with a good cut, SI1–SI2 clarity, and a H or I colour grade.

Here are some examples of different weights for round, oval, marquise, pear, princess and emerald cut diamonds, and their corresponding sizes. The approximate girdle diameter is displayed in millimetres.