Diamonds are measured in Carat Weight. No, I don’t mean those orange things you pick out of the pot roast. The word “Carat” comes from the carob bean, a bean that grows on a tree in the Mediterranean. Years ago, if a diamond weighed the same as a carob bean, it was said to weigh one carob, or carat. One carat weighs 200 milligrams.

A diamond may also be said to weigh four grains. In the Far East, where carob trees don’t grow, rice was used to measure the weight of the diamond. If a diamond weighed as much as four grains of rice, it was four grains, or one carat, as we know it today.

Be careful when shopping for diamonds that are already set or mounted. If more than one diamond is used in the piece, the tag will list the CTW – or Carat Total Weight. This is the combined weight of all of the diamonds in the piece, even the pave diamonds, or little diamond chips. You’ll want to ask your jeweler the weight of the largest diamond to help understand what you’re buying.

Keep in mind, when shopping for your diamond, that bigger is not always better. The size of the diamond is only one facet that affects the price. Depending on what you’re looking for in your stone, a smaller diamond of better quality could very well end up costing you a lot more than a larger stone of poorer quality. There are a lot of other things to consider, so don’t stop reading here!