MENU - Home - Cut - Clarity - Color - Carat - Certificates - Shapes - Loose Diamonds GIA, AGS Certified Diamonds Diamond Jewelry EGL Certified Diamonds

A Matter of Weight When you step on the bathroom scales, the scale tells you how much you weigh in pounds (if you're in the U.S., that is). Diamonds are also weighed, but as the "pound" is the unit of measurement used to describe your weight, carat is the unit of measurement used to describe a diamond's weight. Most diamonds used in jewelry weigh a fraction of a carat and that number is often expressed as ".25 carat" or "1/4 carat". When you see a number expressed as ".75 tcw", the number is describing a piece of jewelry with more than one diamond and the Total Carat Weight of all the diamonds added together is .75 (or 3/4 of a carat). Of course, diamonds larger than a carat are also purchased in jewelry. Many people believe that the 1 carat diamond is the ideal selection for an engagement ring, but the fact is that most engagement rings sold are below one carat. And the primary reason? Cost. You can purchase an exquisite half-carat diamond for about $1,800 while a one-carat diamond of comparable grade will cost over $7,000 -- as you can see, as the weight of of a diamond increases, the price increases exponentially. How Can You Tell How Much A Diamond Weighs? Now if I tell you I know this guy that has a 30 inch waist, could you tell me how much he weighs? Not really. If he's a natural beanpole, he could weigh 140 pounds and if he's a fit muscle builder, he could weigh 225. Same thing with diamonds -- you can't tell how much they weigh by looking at them. How can you tell what a diamond weighs? Simple answer -- you have to weigh it. Of course, if the diamond has a GIA or AGS certificate, the weighing has already happened and all you have to do is read the certificate. ;) Additional Resources Where to Buy Editor's Pick! Mondera: AGS and GIA certified diamonds DiamondSafe.com: EGL certified diamonds Tutorials, Guides Diamond Buying Guide: More extensive information about each of the Four Cs, precious metals, diamond pricing, and more. Auntie's Diamonds: More extensive information presented in a humorous (and accurate) manner.

© 2001 - 2005 ShoppingBrains.com, All Rights Reserved.