When it comes to a diamond, it’s all about numbers. The more a diamond weighs, the more money you pay for it, and ultimately your fiance loves you.
Yes, we are talking about diamond carat. This golden aspect of diamond carat came into existence right from those days when there was a rush for diamonds in De Beers. Most people often get thrilled by this concept of diamond carat. Young men, who are rearing to get married and present their loved one with the best diamond engagement ring, are obsessed with this qualitative aspect of a diamond.
What does the carat of a diamond signify?
Well, the popular belief is that the more the diamond carat, the bigger a diamond looks. But in reality this is far from what the diamond carat actually means. A diamond carat is used to signify the weight of a diamond. A 1 ct diamond weighs more than a 0.95 ct diamond. But that doesn’t mean that the size of the diamond has to increase. Two diamonds of the same carat will have different sizes, according to their shape, the cut, and interior densities.
In the standard measurement, a metric carat is defined as 200 milligrams. This means that each carat is subdivided into a total division of hundred points. The diamond carat is divided in such a manner as the value and rarity increases with every small percentage. Carat weights below the 1ct mark will also be referred to in points by jewelers. For instance, a 0.75 carat diamond can be referred to as a ‘seventy-five’ pointer.
The price of a diamond increases exponentially as the diamond carat weight increases. There are critical junctions at which a diamond’s price increases rapidly. They are also popularly known as magic sizes, the sizes that are more in demand and fixed by the market just for standards. The critical weights are 0.30ct, 0.40ct, 0.50ct, 0.70ct, 0.90ct 1.00ct, 1.50ct, 2.00ct, 3.00ct, 4.00ct, 5.00ct and 10.00ct.
How is diamond carat achieved?
Now the penultimate question becomes, how is the diamond carat achieved. To answer this question, we need to go all the way to a diamond cutter. A diamond cutter, upon getting a piece of rough diamond, looks to cut the diamond in such a way that the maximum carat weight is maintained.
So that’s the main job of a diamond cutter. In trying to maintain maximum carat weight, a diamond cutter sacrifices for other qualitative aspects such as cut, clarity, and color. He will have to do so to maximize the economic yield and to sell the diamond at the best price. Yes, this is how the jewelry market works. The diamond cutter gets paid according to the rise in diamond carat.
How does carat influence the quality of a diamond?
It’s time we unravel a simple truth. Yes, this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. How does the carat of a diamond influence its quality? Well, we don’t want to be blind followers who go for bigger and heavier diamonds just because someone labeled them as premium ones.
We need to know the specifics. That’s why we need to understand this. A diamond’s carat is associated with rarity. Nature organically produces ample amount of rough diamonds that tally below the standard 1ct weight category when cut. Diamonds weighing above the standard 1 ct weight measurement increase exponentially in price as the rarity of these diamonds increases. It requires great skill and precision to maintain diamond carat of increasing carat weights.
That is why you might find out that if there is a hundred ct diamond that appears on the market tomorrow there will be a huge rush for it. All of this put in the context, there won’t be much of a difference in the visual appeal just by increasing the carat of the diamond. Yes, you will definitely find that some diamonds of higher carat weights perform better as the centre stone for engagement rings. But you will also find out that smaller diamonds of lighter carat weights perform better, because of the enormous sparkle and beauty created by them.
Strike the right balance between diamond carat and the other C’s
Now it depends on how you strike the right balance. If you just want a diamond of a higher carat and you only have a budget of $1,000, you won’t be able to get a quality diamond. It’s because as a diamond carat increases, the weight and surface area of the diamond increases, and the more the light will have to travel inside to extract the shine and sparkle.
In other words, it will be hard to get the optimum sparkle and clarity from a diamond of a higher carat weight without spending too many dollars to compensate for the other C’s. So if you have a budget of $5000, don’t spend it all over and get a 1 ct diamond. Instead sacrifice a little with the diamond carat. You can’t tell the difference between a 1 ct diamond and a 0.95 ct diamond by just holding it at hand. Only a trained professional will be able to distinguish that.
By sacrificing a bit with the diamond carat, you can focus on the most important aspect of the diamond which is the cut. The cut of a diamond dictates the amount of sparkle and brilliance exhibited by a diamond. That is why you need to focus on aspects such as the cut and clarity of a diamond. As light needs to travel through the interior of a diamond to exhibit the shine, it will be better to consider a small diamond of a lighter carat weight. This will help the case of light travelling small distances and thus producing great sparkles and beams of light in your diamond.
Your diamond should speak of timeless beauty
What do we mean when we say timeless beauty? We mean that your diamond which has to be the centerpiece in an engagement ring should sparkle and reflect its beauty all the days your loved one wears it. The engagement ring that you present to her should remind her of your love and her worth everyday. That is why the diamond you choose needs to be the perfect one. You need to see to it that the diamond has all the 4 C’s rightly blended in it.
So don’t go for the bigger or heavier diamond. Go for the one that fits your fiance’s lifestyle, passion and dreams. Make sure the diamond sparkles and shines like a golden star that will melt her heart whenever she takes a gaze at it.
Diamond carat for your engagement ring
Depending upon your budget, lifestyle, and interest of your fiance you can get the ideal diamond with perfect carat weight. An engagement ring with 2ct diamond does not always have to be the best. You can also choose a 0.5ct diamond that will exhibit great shine and quality with the type of setting and base metal you go for.
Focus on the setting of the ring, which will itself cost you some money. Go for a pave or halo setting to add a layer of beauty to your engagement ring.
0.10-0.40 Carats
A diamond that belongs to this carat range is easily affordable, while also offering quality sparkle and elegance. You will only have to spend something under $1000 to buy an incredibly small and sparkling diamond that fits this carat range. You can very well focus on the other C’s such as cut, clarity, and color, and make the small diamond and excellent beauty.
0.50 Carat
The half carat diamond is a sensational choice, especially for the engagement ring. The quality aspect of these half carat diamonds comes from the fact that they make your engagement ring look stylish and also help you balance your budget.You will only have to spend about $1,000 for a stunning half carat diamond. You can then decide on the cut and color aspect of the diamond to raise the visual appeal of it.
0.70 Carat
This is where you will begin to see the spike in diamond prices. In fact, the 0.70ct diamond gives you the best option to compromise between carat weight, size, and price.You can buy a stunning diamond for about $2000 of this carat weight and spend the quality budget for the cut and color aspect of the diamond.
0.90 Carat
Well, now you have the 0.90 carat diamond which can be a stellar selection for your engagement ring centerstone. The main reason being that these diamonds give you a great balance in price and quality, and just fall behind the 1.00 carat mark. You can proudly tell your friends that you bought a 1ct diamond without them being able to tell the difference in the ten point mark. It costs around $3,000 to $4000.
1.00 Carat
1 carat diamonds are very popular as they fit every dimension of a worthy diamond. That is why you will see an exponential rising in price when it comes to the 1.00 ct diamond. You can go for the traditional round diamond or fancy diamond shapes that will look tremendous with this carat weight. It will take a budget of $4,200 – $4,500 to get a stunning 1 carat diamond.
Largest carat diamonds
One might think that the 1 ct diamond is the best choice for an engagement ring. But that is only if you don’t have the budget to look for a higher carat. Diamonds that come in 2 ct, 2.5 ct and 3 ct, Make a glorious statement to the eye and they can be in every sense redeeming. A 2 ct diamond will have a size of 8 mm diameter which can largely reflect the beauty of the engagement ring. The Diamond prices of these larger carat diamonds increase exponentially. A 3 ct diamond of versatile cut, color, and clarity will ask anywhere around $30,000- $35,000. So ultimately it is your choice. Choose the carat weight wisely, according to your budget.