About Diamond Weights

About Diamond Weights

Diamonds are measured in Carat Weight. One carat weighs 200 milligrams. If a
diamond is referred to as four grains, this also means that it is a one carat diamond.
The word Carat comes from the word carob. A carob is a bean that grows on a tree in the
Mediterranean. In times past, if a diamond weighed the same as a carob bean, it was
one carob, or one carat.

However, in the far east, where Carob trees do not grow, rice was used to measure the
weight of a diamond. If a diamond weighed as much as four grains of rice, it was four
grains – or one carat as we know it to be now. The majority of diamond purchases
are for diamonds that are 1/3 of a carat.

Beware when shopping for diamonds that are already set or mounted. If more than one
diamond is used in the piece, the tag on the jewelry will give the CTW or Carat Total
Weight – it does not tell you the carat weight of each stone in the piece. You need to ask
the jeweler for the total carat weight of the largest diamond in the piece to truly
understand what you are buying.