Welcome back to the Diamonds Hatton Garden blog where we bring you the latest insights from our Hatton Garden jewellers. Known for our beautiful diamond engagement rings, we are often asked by couples about how to choose the size of their diamond and what to consider when looking at different shaped diamonds. With so many beautiful shapes to select, it can be intimidating to find the right one that matches your tastes, budget and style. In today’s blog, we look at the most popular of all diamond shapes: the round brilliant – and offer a guide to sizing and carat weight.
The Round Brilliant diamond shape is the most popular diamond shape in the round and accounts for more than half of all diamonds sold. Timeless and classic, the iconic shape has become a symbol of luxury and diamonds themselves. Indeed, if you were to ask someone what a diamond looks like it is almost certain they would respond with the round brilliant cut. Be it as a centrestone for diamond engagement rings, the round brilliant is the most versatile and wearable of all diamond shapes. Capturing the imagination and inspiring countless couples throughout the ages, this shape has developed and been perfected over the course of more than 6 centuries to resemble the shape we all know.
What is a Diamond Carat?
The term diamond carat has its origins across the ages and can be traced back to Ancient Greek from where the word is derived meaning “fruit of the carob tree.” Indeed, so important and prized were carob pods that they were used as standards in weight measurements due to the uniformity of their seeds being reliably the same size. Fast forward over the centuries and in 1907 at the Fourth General Conference on Weights and Measures, it was agreed that a modern diamond carat should equal precisely 200 milligrams. This is technically known as a metric carat, and is the standard diamond carat weight that is used universally today.
Diamond Size Chart: MM to Carat Weight
A diamond size chart can help you decide what might be the right carat weight for you by providing a mm to carat comparison. The diamond size chart is meant to be a reference point, as diameters of diamonds vary based on cut quality. A Diamond Cut is how well a diamond is cut and polished, including how well-proportioned the stone is, its depth and symmetry. Diamond Cut doesn’t refer to the shape of the diamond, such as an Oval or Pear Shape. Cut quality directly impacts the diamond’s beauty and brilliance
In the diamond size chart below, we display the diamond’s diameter mm to carat weight based on averages of round brilliant diamonds.
Director’s Advice, “Choose the lowest colour and clarity that still look great to the naked eye, and then choose the largest diamond carat weight that still fits within your budget. Some salespeople might try to push “only the best” on you. Always keep in mind the cut quality, since a poorly cut heavier diamond can look smaller than an excellently cut lighter diamond.”
Does Carat Weight matter?
The truth is, it doesn’t matter. Think about it. When you look at a diamond set in a ring, what does your eye see? Does your eye see weight, or does your eye see physical size? Obviously, your eye can only see physical dimensions—light doesn’t carry weight information back to your eye.
And if you think about it even more, your eye also doesn’t see the total physical size of the diamond, because most of it will be covered in jewellery. All you can really see when you look at a diamond is the size of its surface area on the top of the diamond, as displayed above in our diamond size chart.
You are best off asking one of our experts to guide you through this process. They will be able to help you find the balance between “getting the biggest diamond” and “not wasting money to gain carat size that won’t be noticeable.”
Unsure what size round brilliant diamond to choose? At Diamonds Hatton Garden our team of family-run jewellers have assisted generations of clients to find their perfect round brilliant diamond engagement ring. Contact our team via harel@diamondshg.co.uk or call +44 7951 060238 for more information and to arrange your appointment.