Diamonds are measured in carats. There are 142 carats in 1 ounce, and 5 carats in 1 gram. "Carat" should not be confused with "karat," which is a measure of the fineness of gold.
What is a Carat?
A diamond's carat refers to its weight, not its size, which is instead determined by its length, height and width, says DiamondsAreForever.org, an informational website about diamonds.
Origin
The word carat is derived from the Greek "keration," meaning fruit of the carob tree. Because the seeds of the carob were uniform in size, they became a unit of measure of fine gemstones. Since an average carob seed weighs 200 milligrams, the weight of 1 carat was set at 200 milligrams.
Points
Carat weight may also be expressed by a point system, with 1 carat equalling 100 points; 3/4 carat 75 points; 1/2 carat 50 points; and 1/4 carat 25 points.
Price
The carat size of a diamond plays a big role in its value, since larger stones are more rare, and therefore more expensive. DiamondHelpers.com points out that one 2-carat diamond will always be more expensive than two 1-carat diamonds of the same quality.
Shape
Leo Schachter, master diamond artisan, says that the appearance of a diamond's size is influenced by its shape, so that a 1-carat emerald-shaped diamond may appear larger than a 2-carat round diamond.
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