Carat Weight in the Balance
You may think that diamond weight is the easiest of the 4 C's to determine (carat weight, clarity, color, and cut). You just throw it on a scale and weigh it, right? The answer is, not always. There are several questions that you must ask yourself.
- Is it the weight or the size of the diamond that is important to you? The two are not the same. A diamond that weighs less than one carat may look larger than one that weighs more than one carat. That’s because in some cases the weight may be concentrated in the depth. A diamond that is shallow will look bigger but will handle light differently that a deeper diamond.
- Would you sacrifice beauty for weight? Many times a diamond cutter will make a diamond a little shallower or a little deeper in order to make it weigh more. That’s because the weight is usually the first consideration for most people. It just sounds better to have a diamond that weighs 1.00 carat rather than one that should weigh .98 carat. Extra weight can change the most desirable angles and therefore the amount of light that radiates from the stone. Carat weight is only a figure but an easily measurable one that friends and family will understand before angles of refraction. The weight is definitely an issue that belongs in the balance
Have you ever watched a diamond being weighed? You will at Mills Jewelers. Diamond jewelry that is already set tends to be rounded off to the nearest fraction. The tag on the ring says 3/4 carat but the actual weight may be .72 carat, or a little under. Rounding off is an accepted practice and quite common. Sometimes the weight can be further off than that. That’s called undercarating. At Mills Jewelers, we have the same highly accurate carat scale that is used by Gemological Institute of America. It’s one of the diamond discovery tools we make available to you. By placing your diamond on the scale, you can be confident of the exact weight and verify that the paper certification matches the diamond you are considering.
- Would you wear a potato? Both diamonds and potatoes are sold by weight. Potatoes are sold by the pound. Diamonds are sold by carat weight. Why then can two diamonds weighing exactly the same sell for $2000 and $10,000? The difference is in the 4 C's (clarity, color, carat weight and the quality of cut).
Comparing the $2000 diamond with the $10,000 diamond is like comparing potatoes with diamonds. A potato on your ring finger is probably not what you had in mind.
- One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four? At the risk of taking the potato thing too far… unlike with potatoes, weight in diamonds affects rarity. The rarer the diamond, the higher the value. Two potatoes won’t cost you any more per pound than one. With all other characteristics being equal, a diamond of two carat may be valued at four times a diamond weighing one carat. Because it is rarer in nature, owning it will also be rarer among your friends.
We require certificates of origin through the "Kimberly Process" to insure
all diamonds from
Mills Jewelers are "Conflict Free". Click here for more
information.
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