How Is the Carat Weight of a Diamond Measured?

Diamonds, and other gemstones, are measured by weight in carats, not the karat of gold, although the two are often confused. The karat weight in gold refers to its purity, where the carat weight of a diamond, is a measure of its actual, physical weight.

Thousands of years ago, the seed of the locust, or carob bean seeds were used in comparison to the weight of things such as gems. The seeds were noted for their consistency of size, and so were considered a reliable measure by merchants. Stones were weighed, and equated to the number of seeds that balanced the scale, with the word "carat", being derived from the Greek "keraton".

Up until the early part of the 1900s, there were two different methods of measuring the actual weight of a stone. At that time, a world standard came into effect, with 1 carat being equivalent to 1/5 of a gram.

If you're not familiar with the metric system, there are 28 grams in an ounce. Therefore, a one-ounce diamond, would be 140 carats, and while small, would be a considerable prize, if the cut, clarity and color were of good quality.

The system serves its purpose for rough or uncut gems, but when it comes to diamonds already set in jewelry, especially antiques, determining the weight can be more difficult. Removing the stones from their settings can damage a valuable piece, and is not often attempted. However, round stones can often be successfully estimated within a 1-2% error margin, by measuring their diameter and depth.

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How Is the Carat Weight of a Diamond Measured?

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