ARAMICOS CATERING

Not to be confused with KARAT, which is a measure of gold purity, the term "carat" refers to a diamond's weight, not its size. Each metric carat weighs 200 milligrams, and each carat is further divided into hundreths, or points. Sound complicated? Jewelers often make this simple analogy to money. Just as a dollar contains 100 pennies, each carat comprises 100 points. A 75-point diamond weighs 0.75 carats, a 50-pointer is 0.50 carats, a 25-pointer is 0.25 carats, and so on.

Unlike the other three C's, carat weight isn't always a direct reflection of cost. "If a diamond cutter chooses to leave in a flaw, the stone will be bigger but less brilliant and less expensive." Along the same lines, a large stone with a low color grade can be less expensive than a smaller one with a high grade.

It boils down to a matter of preference: if size matters but budget is a concern, you might opt to downgrade in quality. When shopping for a diamond, remember that stones weighing in at just under the full carat mark are much less expensive than stones right at the full-carat mark.

A 95-point diamond costs less than one that weighs a full carat - but when the stone is set, you won't be able to tell the difference in size.

Live & Love,

Rose