If you have ever shopped for diamonds, you would have certainly heard the word ‘carat’ often enough. It’s the one thing that people quote and talk about above all else, but what does it mean when you start looking for a stone that will be with you for a lifetime?

What Does Carat Mean In Diamonds?

The term carat dates back to ancient India, the birthplace of the world’s diamond trade. Sellers and traders used the consistency of size and weight of the tiny carob seed to define a new significance and measure, specifically, for the precious stones we now call diamonds.

The carat of a diamond is simply how much it weighs. The more carats (, the heavier) a diamond is, the more valuable it will be. But it is important to note that things like the skill of the cut and the intrinsic quality of the stone will alter the value, and so it is not expressed by the carat alone.

For precision, a carat is divided into 100 points. So 0.40 carats would be 40 points of a single carat. For ease of comparison, 1 carat is equal to 0.2 grams. We are telling you right away how valuable these highly sought-after precious stones are.

Diamond Carat To MM Size Conversion Chart