A carat is the unit of weight by which all gemstones, including diamonds, are measured. Larger diamonds are found in nature much less frequently than small diamonds, so the price of a diamond increases with its size or weight.

The following chart shows some examples of different weights for round diamonds and their corresponding sizes. Note that a rise in carat weight does not necessarily mean a proportionate increase. Thus, a two-carat diamond is not two times the size of a 1-carat diamond.

NOTE: Due to the limitations of displaying images on a computer screen, sizes shown are approximate.

If size is important to you, look for tradeoffs in the color, clarity, and cut grades. You can purchase a good size diamond with beautiful sparkle that has a color in H-J range, clarity in the SI1-SI2 grades, and a good or fair cut. Also, remember to keep her size in mind when choosing carat weight. A 1-carat diamond will look much larger on slender fingers than the same size diamond will on a larger-sized hand.

0.25 carats [4.1 mm]	0.50 carats [5.2 mm]	0.75 carats [5.9 mm]	1.00 carats [6.5 mm]	2.00 carats [8.2 mm]	4.00 carats [10.0 mm]