Although commonly thought to refer to the actual size of a diamond, a carat is actually a standard unit of measure that defines the weight of a diamond. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. Carat sizes are also expressed as "points", with a one carat diamond equaling 100 points, a one-half carat diamond being 50 points, a three-quarter carat diamond being 75 points, and so on.

Larger diamonds are much more rare than smaller ones. In fact. hundreds of tons of rock and ore must be processed to uncover a single one-carat gem quality diamond, and less than one percent of all women will ever own a one- carat or larger diamond.

Since a carat is a unit of measure and not size, two diamonds of the same carat weight may appear to be different sizes depending on how the diamond is cut. Some diamonds will have extra weight on the bottom part — or pavilion — of the stone, and therefore appear smaller. A premium cut Canadian diamond is perfectly cut, and will appear larger than many diamonds of a heavier carat weight.

Be carefull about shopping for the largest diamond without consideration of the other value factors   You will likely end up with a stone of such inferior quality that it will simply look glasslike when your partner compares it to her best friend's diamond.  Side by side a diamonds' cut is what gives the diamond FIRE is crucial brilliance.  The difference between a very good cut to a poor cut diamond can be astonishing.

Many retail jewelers claim to be diamond wholesalers will sell you a diamond at a low price. Most of the time the diamonds will not be independantly certified and there will be fundamental flaws in the diamond cut. When you compare these inferior diamonds to a premium cut Canadian diamond like Wholesale Canadian Diamonds brokers will you really see what a WOW stone should look like!

If size or carat weight is your most important attribute, (for many people it is very important) that is perfectly acceptable, but do consider the other 3 Cs especially cut to make sure you understand your tradeoffs.