When selecting the engagement ring of your dreams there are four important points to consider, the Four Cs. We’ve gone over Cut, Clarity and Color in previous posts the final C is Carat. The carat is the weight of your diamond. Let’s not confuse carats and Karats however. 18k gold is completely different from an 18 ct. diamond which would be a monster of a rock.

The carat is the unit of measurement which is used to designate the weight of a diamond. As defined by the metric system a “carat” is equal to 0.2grams (or about the weight of a small paperclip). The carat is then subdivided into 100 points, think of it as a dollar with 100 pennies: ½ carat is 0.50 cts. When weighed, a diamond will be assigned its weight to the closest 100^th decimal place. So a quarter carat diamond will be written out as having a weight of 0.25 cts. This helps the jeweler to be as precise as possible in weighting the diamond.

But it’s not all about the size here ladies. There are the other characteristics to consider. A larger diamond isn’t always going to be the best choice or render the most bang for your buck. When comparing two diamonds with the same color grade, cut and internal clarity yes, a larger diamond will cost considerably more than a smaller diamond. This is especially true because prices rise exponentially with size due to the fact that larger diamonds are rare. But if size is what you’re going for it is possible to find a large diamond of poor quality with less sparkle at a similar price to a smaller diamond with exquisite quality and high sparkle. It’s all about preference and priorities.

For more information on carat weight and a handy interactive chart: GIA