Loose Diamonds Education
4C's: Loose Diamonds Carat
All loose diamonds are sold by weight in price per carat and measured in carats. One carat equals 1/5 of a gram or about 0.007 ounces. Each carat is divided into 100 points. For example a 25 point diamond is also called a quarter carat and a 50 point diamond is also called a half carat. A Loose diamond weighing less than 20 points are often called melee. Another term you might encounter is grainer. A grain equals to 0.25 of a carat. For example, a one carat diamond might also be called a 4 grainer. A loose diamond is always weighed to a thousandth of a carat and then rounded to the nearest hundredth of a point.
*The above images are for reference only
A loose diamonds price equals the number of carats times the price per carat.In any given color/clarity combination the carat size will affect the total price.
There are 3 reasons for this:
- A loose diamond weighing 1.03 carats is 10 points heaver than the 93 point loose diamond and therefore you would have to pay the price per carat for another 10 points.
- Loose Diamonds are broken down into weight categories. Once a stone exceeds a certain weight category the loose diamonds price per carat will increases substantially. A loose diamonds price per carat is a based on how rare the diamond is. The bigger the diamond the rarer it is, therefore its price per carat will also be higher. For example, two 50 point diamonds equals the same weight as one stone that is 1.00 carats, however since the one stone that weighs 1.00 carat is much rarer that stones price per carat will also be much higher.
- Magic Size - People tend to prefer certain sizes over others. These Magic sizes also greatly affect the loose diamonds price. For example, a 1.00 carat stone is considered to be a magic size. If a loose diamond weighs .99 carats the price per carat will be much cheaper than one of the same color and clarity that weighs 1.00 carats. In this case it is not the rarity of the stone but peoples preference that dictates the diamonds price. Not even the most experienced diamond dealer could tell the difference between a .99 carat diamond and a 1.00 carat diamond yet the price is significantly different.
At the retail and wholesale level, loose diamonds dealers and salespeople consult the wholesale loose diamonds price sheet known as the Rappaport List, where wholesale loose diamonds prices are set according to shape, color, clarity, and carat weight. These prices change in response to worldwide supply of loose diamonds available in each size category. Carat weight is the most critical when it comes to supply, because based on demand, the lack of a certain size will affect the price of that loose diamonds size.
What size loose diamonds should you buy?
The truth of the matter is it's the thought that counts and not the size of the loose diamond. But it does help to know what your loved one has in mind as well. Our consultants can help you pick the right loose diamond, but you have to help us help you.
The chart below should give you a general feeling of how big your loose diamond will look.
Another thing to consider is hand or finger size. For instance if your special someone has a size 5 finger a one carat loose diamond will look much larger than the same size stone on a size 8 finger.
When size matters most.
If you need to stick to a budget and that special someone cares most about size, we suggest that you select a lower color and clarity combination. That will allow you to give her the loose diamond size she wants while not going over your budget. As we stated before an I-J color with a SI3-SI1 clarity loose diamond will look great and let you get her a bigger loose diamond.
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