Why are diamonds measured in carats (as well as for transparency, cut and purity)? And why are the carats of diamonds different from the carats that are used for gold? Questions that are often addressed to the gioiellis.com editorial staff. If you do not know what is meant by carat about diamonds or gold, here is a quick explanation.
History. It all starts with beans. That’s right: the word carat, or carat, comes from the Arabic word qīrāṭ, which means bean pod. But also the ancient Greeks called beans and carobs with the name of keration. But what does a diamond have in common with beans? Simple: in ancient times the seeds, which were the size of most gems, were used to determine the weight of diamonds. But a couple of centuries ago it was decided to establish a common value (not all beans are the same, after all). One carat, for diamonds, has been set at a weight of 200 milligrams or, if you prefer, 0.2 grams. Thus, a 1-carat diamond weighs 0.20 grams (equivalent to 0.007 ounces), a 2-carat diamond weighs 0.4 grams, and so on. You will more easily find jewelry made up of diamonds weighing much less than 1 carat. For example, a 0.05-carat diamond ring, which is a fairly common size, has a stone that weighs 0.01 grams (equivalent to 0.0004 ounces). And there are also those who, like Tiffany, measure diamonds up to one thousandth of a carat.
Shape and weight of diamonds. Carats are not everything: for the same weight, a diamond can appear more or less large according to the chosen cut, for example, brilliant (round), princess, oval, cushion, marquise, emerald, radiant or heart. In short, the carat weight does not indicate exactly the size. You may also read the abbreviation Tw: it is an abbreviation that is used for total weight, which is usually used to indicate the total weight of all the diamonds in a jewel.
The karat of gold. The word carat is also used for gold, but it indicates something completely different. For gold, the amount of karats measures the percentage of pure metal used: 24 karat gold means that 100% is pure gold. 18-karat gold indicates that 25% of the jewel is made up of other metals, such as silver, copper, palladium. A 14 karat gold ring is an alloy with 14 parts of gold and 10 parts of other metals. But why are there 24 karats of gold? The proportion dates back to the time of the ancient Romans at the time of the Emperor Constantine, who considered 24 silique, a silver coin, equal to a solid of gold, as the most valuable coin was called. For 1500 years, more or less, gold has therefore had two values: weight (in grams or ounces) and purity (carats).
Carat and Karat. In many languages the word carat between diamond and gold is indistinguishable. In English, however, Carat is used for diamonds (and gems in general) and indicates the weight, while Karat is used for gold (abbreviated Kts). Thus it is much more precise and there is no confusion.
