All loose diamonds are measured by carat weight. Normally, people want the biggest diamond they can get. But technically, bigger sized diamonds usually suffer in quality, such as a loss in brilliance. In order to cut loose diamonds at the best angles to produce the most fire, much of the original diamond rough is lost, resulting in a great decrease in the diamond's carat weight.
There are 100 points to a carat and a carat equals 1/5 of a gram. Don't be fooled into buying loose diamonds that are said to be .25 points. They are NOT a quarter of a carat, and will be so small that they should only be used as accents to other stones or the gold itself.
Since larger loose diamonds are more rare, the price of carats per gram rises dramatically at an exponential rate. A one carat diamond is worth more than several diamonds that measure a carat in total weight. A smaller carat diamond on a small size hand can look normal while a small carat diamond on a large hand can look overpowered. When choosing the size carat, think about your budget and the look of the diamond you are going for. |
