E.S. Design

Diamonds are valued and measured by their weight. The unit of measure by which these precious gemstones are weighed is the carat. It hails from the seeds of a carob tree, which were uniquely identical in weight, from seed to seed.

A number of terms have been associated with diamond weight namely, carats, weights, and points. Which of these terms is the most appropriate unit of measure for diamond mass? What makes things a bit more complicated is the fact that sometimes, fractions are used -- such as ½ carat – while other times, decimals are used – such as 0.20 points.

Diamond Math is not all that complex. To simplify matters, one diamond carat is mathematically written as 1.00 carat. It is similar to currency or money where there are two decimal places. The term  “1.00 carat” is equivalent to 100 points. Simply put, one carat, or 1.00 carat, comprises of 100 points. Points are like pennies and 100 pennies make up one dollar.

Following this logic, we write half a carat as 0.50 carat or 0.50 points. Using fractions, we write that as ½ carat. If your jeweler mentions that a diamond solitaire ring has a stone that is 0.58 points, that means that it is a little larger than half a carat (0.50 points) but smaller than a ¾ carat stone (0.75 carat). Similarly, a 0.95 carat sparkler is close to one carat, a mere 0.05 points shy.
Diamond weight or carat weight is not a difficult concept to grasp. It is just the same as money. Choosing a diamond of fine quality is the more complicated matter in your diamond purchase.