Diamond carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams. Each carat can be subdivided into 100 points. This allows very precise measurements to the hundredth decimal place. A jeweler may describe the weight of a diamond below one carat by its points alone. For instance, a diamond that weighs 0.25 carats as a ‘twenty-five pointer.’ Diamond weights greater than one carat are expressed in carats and decimals. A 1.08 carat stone would be described as ‘one point oh eight carats.’
All else being equal, diamond price increases with carat weight, because larger diamonds are more rare and desirable. But two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different values and prices depending on three other factors within the 4Cs: Clarity, Color, and Cut. It’s important to remember that a diamond’s value is determined using all of the 4Cs, not just carat weight.