Carat
Diamonds are not measured in size, but rather in weight. One carat is equal to 0.2 g so the higher the number of carats, the larger the diamond will often be, although the cut can affect how big the gem appears.
Diamond carat size
To determine a diamond or gemstone’s weight, each stone is weighed individually.
Carat weight can appear differently across different diamond shapes and while carat weight can influence the price of a diamond, no two diamonds of the same weight will be worth the same and may not even look the same size. A diamond may have a higher carat weight without appearing larger and two diamonds of the same carat weight can vary in size if one is cut deeper than the other. In other words, it is important to note that carat weight does not necessarily determine size but below you can find a rough guideline of the size you can expect.
Is a higher diamond carat better?
While carats help to determine a diamond’s price, a higher carat doesn’t always equal a better quality stone.
Larger stones are rarer than smaller diamonds so the heavier the gem, the more expensive they tend to be. However, clarity is a big contributor to price and the quality of the gemstone, to many, is considered more important than the size. The cut of a diamond is also a big contributor to the quality - a poorly cut diamond may look smaller than one of a better cut but weigh the same. There’s a lot to consider than just the carat and shape of your diamond ring!