It’s the old quandary. Is bigger better? Size is sought after, naturally; but overall quality counts in the stretch

This balance of size and quality makes up much of the art of a professional gem cutter. It is the cutter’s job to produce a gorgeous diamond while giving the consumer the highest CARATAGE for his or her money.

Caratage means CARAT, the measurement used to weigh a diamond.

The word carat is taken from the perfectly matched carob seeds that people once used in ancient times to balance scales. So uniform in shape and weight are these little seeds that even today’s sophisticated instruments cannot detect more than three one-thousandths of a difference between them.

Don’t confuse it with KARAT, the method of determining the purity of gold.

What’s The Point?
One Carat= 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams. 142 carats adds up to one ounce. Carats are further divided into points.

What does all this mean, and how does it work?
The price of a diamond will always rise proportionately to the size of the stone. Larger diamond crystals are more rare and have a greater value per carat. So, a one carat diamond of a given color and clarity will be much more valuable than 2 one half carat diamonds of equal quality.


Master Gemologist Appraiser

4016 Cortez Road West
Suite 1201
Bradenton, FL 34210
ph: 941.756-8787