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Diamond Carat Weight vs. Total Carat Weight: What Is the Difference?

Diamond Carat Weight vs. Total Carat Weight: What Is the Difference?

I’m shopping for diamond earrings online, because it seems like you get better value. It seems like stores describe carat weight in two ways. Some use the term diamond carat weight and others use total carat weight. I’m not sure which description of carat weight is more reliable or whether it makes a difference? I like the way that half carat diamonds look in my ears. What other things should I focus upon when buying diamond earrings?

How to describe diamond carat weight:

Let’s start with the basics. A one carat diamond is described as weighing 1.00 carats. We divide a one carat diamond into 100 units, which are referred to as points. There are 100 points in a one carat diamond. These points are a unit of weight, and do not represent the facet junctions which point together. That is something that confuses people all the time.

When describing a single stone, like this half carat diamond, we’ll state the actual carat weight of the individual stone like this: 0.538 carat, H-color, SI-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round hearts and arrows diamond. In doing so, we provide you with the actual carat weight of the diamond, as well as the clarity, color, collection status and cut quality. It is worth noting that “a half carat diamond” must weigh between 0.48 – 0.52 carats according to the Federal Trade Commission. However, you should be aware of the price increase that occurs between 0.49 – 0.50 carats.

Thus not all half carat diamond earrings are created equal, this must be taken into consideration when comparing prices. A pair of “one carat total weight” diamond earrings that consists of (2) diamonds that weigh 0.49 carats each, costs much less than a pair of one carat total weight diamond earrings that consists of diamonds weighing more than 0.50 carats each.

Diamond Total Carat Weight:

Anytime you are buying a jewelry item that consists of more than one diamond, it is likely to be described in terms of the combined total carat weight of all the diamonds. Thus when you Search for Matched Pairs of Brian Gavin diamonds, the range for carat weight is in the form of total weight. What the two diamonds that create the pair of diamond earrings weigh combined.

Thus if we were to describe this 0.538 carat, H-color, SI-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round diamond, and this 0.558 carat, H-color, SI-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round diamond, we could simply say that they’re one carat total weight; but the reality is that the combined total weight is more than 1.00 carats. So it would be more accurate to say that they’re 1.096 carats, combined total carat weight, or just 1.098 carats total weight, which might be abbreviated as 1.096 ct., t.w.

Tips for Buying Diamond Earrings:


You should always make diamond cut quality a priority, since the combination of proportions and optical precision dictate light performance. People are often tempted to skimp on diamond cut quality since “they’re just diamond earrings” but doing so is a huge mistake! It doesn’t matter how the diamonds are going to be worn, you still want them to sparkle, don’t you?

And thus, the proportions and cut quality of the diamonds you buy should always be a factor. Let me tell you a secret, the diamonds you buy today as earrings, might someday be moved down into a 3 stone ring, or passed on to future generations as center stones for an engagement ring! You want them to be of the highest cut quality!

Which is why Brian Gavin Diamonds are always cut to the highest of standards, and we provide you with the reflector scope images to prove it! No guesswork required, every BGD Signature diamond is drop dead gorgeous!

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