DiamondonNet Dictionary
DiamondonNet dictionary of common loose diamonds and diamond jewelry terms in the industry and their meanings.
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Carat
The standard unit of weight used for gemstones. One carat equals .200 grams (or 200 milligrams). Usually abbreviated ct.

Diamonds are weighed to a thousandth (0.001) of a carat and then rounded to the nearest hundredth, or point. Over a carat, diamond weights are usually expressed in carats and decimals. A 1.03 ct. stone in your diamond jewelry, for example, would be described as "one point oh three carats," or "one oh three." A diamond that weighs 0.83 ct. is said to weigh "eighty-three points," or an "eighty-three pointer." .
Carat Weight
The weight of a diamonds is generally given in carats. The term carat originated in ancient times when gemstones were weighted against the carob bean. Each bean weighed about one carat. In 1913, carat weight was standardized internationally and adapted to the metric system. One carat equals 0.2 grams - a little more than 0.007 ounce. In other words, it takes 142 carats to equal 1 ounce. Two terms, carat and karat are often confused. In the US, karat refers to the fineness of gold alloys (pure gold is 24 karat; 14 karat is 14 parts gold and 10 parts other metals) and carat refers to gem weights. .