Is There a Big Difference Between a 1.00 & 1.11 Carat Diamond?

Diamonds and other precious stones are measured in carats, with one carat equaling 0.2 grams. Carats are one of the four C's that measure diamond quality; the other three are cut, color, and clarity.

Size

• The difference between a 1-carat diamond and one that weighs 1.11 carats is 0.22 grams, or a little more than two decigrams. A typical 1-carat solitaire diamond and a solitaire with a weight of 1.25 carats differ in size by half of a millimeter. The difference of .11 carats would be negligible to the naked eye.

Price

• An increase in carat size results in an increase of price-per-carat. A 1-carat diamond might sell for $5,000 a carat, but a 2-carat diamond will typically cost double the price per carat. This means a 2-carat diamond would sell for $10,000 per carat, or $20,000 for the stone. A diamond weighing 1.11 carats might sell for several hundred dollars more than one that weighs 1 carat, but price is also affected by the overall quality of the stone.

Cut

• The cut of the diamond will affect not only the price of the stone, but its physical appearance of the stone's size. A 1-carat diamond may look larger if it is broader on the surface and cut more shallowly than a 1.11-carat stone that is cut more deeply and with smaller, steeper facets.