A guide to Diamonds
What is a Carat? A diamond's carat refers to its weight, not its size, which is instead determined by its length, height and width.
Origin The word carat is derived from the Greek "keration," meaning fruit of the carob tree. Because the seeds of the carob were uniform in size, they became a unit of measure of fine gemstones. Since an average carob seed weighs 200 milligrams, the weight of 1 carat was set at 200 milligrams.
Points Carat weight may also be expressed by a point system, with 1 carat equalling 100 points; 3/4 carat 75 points; 1/2 carat 50 points; and 1/4 carat 25 points.
Origin The word carat is derived from the Greek "keration," meaning fruit of the carob tree. Because the seeds of the carob were uniform in size, they became a unit of measure of fine gemstones. Since an average carob seed weighs 200 milligrams, the weight of 1 carat was set at 200 milligrams.
Points Carat weight may also be expressed by a point system, with 1 carat equalling 100 points; 3/4 carat 75 points; 1/2 carat 50 points; and 1/4 carat 25 points.
