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CaratsMany people equate the term carat with the size of a diamond, and as carat size increases, so will the carat weight. But the operative word there is weight. Carat refers to the weight of a diamond and is equal to roughly 200 milligrams which is less than a 1/4 of an ounce. A carat can also be broken up into 100 points. So 3/4 of a carat is also 75
points.
The heavier in carat weight a diamond is, the rarer it becomes. Prices of diamond increase exponentially with the weight of the diamond, so a one-carat diamond will cost much more than two 1/2-carat diamonds, given that other qualities, such as color and clarity, are equal.
The cutting of a diamond can impact the size of it, so depending on how their cut, two one-carat diamonds can look unequal. If a stone is cut flatter, then it will appear bigger, while a deeper cut stone will be smaller, but may have more brilliance and scintillation. You may be tempted to purchase a stone that's cut flatter so that you can have the appearance of a larger, or heavier stone. But a diamond that's cut too flat will have too little brilliance and can look cloudy. Carat weight is important, but there's no point to sacrificing other qualities that make a diamond special so you can say you have a two-carat stone. A beautiful one-carat diamond, with outstanding brilliance and scintillation is going to be the better choice, from both a personal standpoint and an investment standpoint.
A smaller diamond can always be enhanced with baguettes, trillians or smaller same-shape stones on either size. As we stated earlier, two smaller stones won't cost as much as an equally-weighted single stone, so you can increase the importance of the ring you're buying without doubling your cost.
How diamonds made
Diamonds form between 75-120 miles below the earth's surface. According to geologists the first delivery of diamonds was somewhere around 2.5 billion years ago and the most recent was 45 million years ago. The carbon that makes diamonds comes from...
Common and uncommon gemstones
Gemstones quite literally can take our breath away when we see them. Who hasn't seen a beautiful diamond or sapphire ring and exclaimed over it? Is it only their beauty that makes them so valuable? Why else are they valuable to us? Most...
Minerals are crystals
The earliest forms of jewelry were items that early humans found naturally, such as shells or bits of bones. Early gravesites have also revealed that pre-historic man buried his dead with flowers and with carved ivory beads. These primitive beads...
Clarity
Diamond clarity is one the 4Cs of diamond qualities. It refers to any flaws, or inclusions in the diamond, and how visible or detectable they are. Inclusions can be foreign substances, or minute cracks or flaws. It also refers to the appearance of...
Industrial vs gem quality diamonds
ancient times, and is the source of its name. However, there have been synthetic diamonds created which are even harder. The hardest natural diamonds in the world are diamonds from the New England area in New South Wales, Australia. These diamonds...
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