A maioria das pessoas pensa que quilate se refere ao tamanho real de um diamante, quando na verdade é uma unidade de medida padrão que define o peso de um diamante. Um quilate equivale a 200 miligramas. Os tamanhos em quilates também são expressos como “pontos”, com um diamante de um quilate igualando 100 pontos, a one-half carat diamond being 50 pontos, a three-quarter carat diamond being 75 pontos, e assim por diante. Larger diamonds are much rarer than smaller ones.
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.
If size or carat weight is your most important attribute, (for many people it is very important) that is perfectly acceptable. You may want to also consider the other 3 Cs to make sure you understand your tradeoffs.