What is Diamond & Moissanite Carat?

Guide to:
Diamond Carat

What does Carat mean?

Carat refers to the weight of the diamond and not the size. 1 carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams. 1 carat is divided into 100 points. This means a 50 point diamond weighs 0.5 grams. The carat helps to determine the price of the diamond and the higher the carat the more expensive the stone will be.

Moissanite stones are roughly 17% lighter in weight than diamonds. Therefore, while a 6.4mm diamond weighs 1.0 carat, a 6.4mm moissanite weighs 0.84 carat. To avoid confusion, all moissanite are described in millimetres and all diamonds are measured by carat.

Why Does Carat Weight Matter?

Knowing the carat weight for your diamond is important as it indicates the general size of the diamond that it was cut from. This helps identity the rarity of the diamond and thus the price.

However, a higher carat diamond does not equate to a better stone. Two stones can have the exact same carat but depending on the depth of the cut, the clarity, the colour and the shape of the stone the price can vary significantly.

For example, an optimised cut, colour and clarity stone can in fact look like a 2.1 carat diamond due to its dimensions. It is more important to determine the diamond or moissanites cut, colour and clarity to ensure you are actually getting a high quality stone.

The Diamond Carat Chart

A diamonds weight can vary quite significantly depending on the shape and cut of the stone. It is important to know that the value of your diamond is not dependent on your carat weight.

Contrary to popular belief, a higher carat diamond is not necessarily better. Due to its larger surface area the diamond has more potential for a poorer cut and imperfections are more prevalent on larger stones.

However, a high carat diamond that has a high standard of cut, colour and clarity is extremely rare and in this instance also highly valuable.

When deciding on the right diamond or moissanite for your own ring, consider your preferred shape of stone first. Once you have decided on your preferred shape, you will be able to consider what grade stone within the 4 C's you desire.

Your budget for your ring should be optimised for the Cut first, then Colour, Clarity and Carat.

S-kin's Carat Offering

At S-kin Studio our diamond carat offering ranges from 0.53 - 1.31 carats.

As we range multiple different stone shapes, including marquise, oval and round, each diamond shape has a different carat weight. Our stunning and bespoke diamond rings are made to order and each stone will be sourced at the time of purchase to ensure you get a superb diamond.

We recommend selecting a ring design that you love and will cherish and the diamond will sparkle no matter how big it is.

Our Moissanite stones are measured by the millimetre as their weight differs too greatly to diamonds to give them a carat value.