This is the unit of measurement used in precious gems. A carat is divided into 100 points and, more technically sounding, a carat equals 200mg or 1/142 of an ounce.

The larger the diamond, usually the rarer it is. But remember , 2 diamonds of equal carat can vary due top the other factors-color, cut and clarity.

FYI : In ancient times, merchants used the seeds of the carob tree as weights. These seeds are remarkably consistent in weight. It is widely thought that this is origin of the word carat.