A diamond’s weight is measured in what is known as a ‘carat’, which is a small unit of measurement equal to 200 milligrams. Carat is not a measure of a diamond’s size, since cutting a diamond to different proportions can affect its weight. (The word ‘Karat’ is used to express the purity of gold, and is not used in relation to diamonds).

The word carat actually comes from the word carob (as in carob seeds), which is how ancient cultures measured the weight of diamonds on their scales. In 1913, however, the weight was standardized internationally and adapted to the metric system.

The most important thing to remember when it comes to a diamond’s carat weight is that it is not the only factor that determines a diamond’s value. In other words, bigger does not necessarily mean better. All four Cs—Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat Weight must be balanced in order to arrive at a diamond that fits your budget. None of the 4C’s is mutually exclusive, nor is any one more important than the others.