What is a carat? 

A “carat” (ct) is a unit of mass (like grams, or pounds) that is used specifically for measuring gemstones and pearls. UK jewellers use what’s known as the “metric carat”, where one carat = 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams. 

While this may not seem like much, a 1 carat diamond is quite substantial, and really does stand out on a finger. 

The difference between a 1 carat and a 2 carat diamond ring 

The literal difference between a 1 carat and 2 carat diamond is that a 2 carat diamond is twice as heavy: 1 carat = 0.2 grams 0.5 carat = 0.3 grams 2 carat = 0.4 grams And so on; it’s that simple! 

However, the true, noticeable difference really does depend on the cut of the diamond – the height and depth of a diamond can really affect how we perceive its size, that’s why, say, a princess cut may look significantly bigger than a pear cut. The diamonds will weigh the same, but the weight is distributed in a different way. 

That’s why it’s worth always remembering that carat measures the diamond’s weight, so pick the cut and quality that you prefer aesthetically, even if that means going for a slightly lighter diamond. 

When asked, our resident diamond expert, Mitch, advised to: 

“Never choose carat over cut. Size isn’t everything, especially when it comes to diamonds. Larger diamonds make imperfections more obvious, so if you opt for a large diamond that’s not been cut properly, it’ll be noticeable. We advise many of our customers at Mitchel & Co to choose somewhat smaller diamonds of a higher quality/cut – the end result is always much, much better.”

The four Cs of diamonds 

A diamond’s carat is only one of the four key aspects you should be considering when choosing a diamond. 

The four Cs are: 

- Cut 

- Colour 

- Clarity 

- Carat

If you’d like to learn about this in more detail, you can check out our handy diamond buying guide by clicking here. 

What you need to know before buying a diamond ring 

We highly recommend having a look through the above guide before making a purchase. There are a lot of intricacies that go into categorising diamonds, all of which affect their price. Many of these intricacies can be incredibly difficult to see, especially if you’ve got little to no experience with diamonds.

Essentially, our advice boils down to: expensive does not mean better. 

Decide your budget and stick to it; don’t allow yourself to be pressured into buying a larger diamond if it’s not what you’re after. At the end of the day, the ring’s going to sit either on your finger, or the finger of someone you care about, so it’s got to be absolutely perfect for you.