Jewelry Information

Introduction

Diamonds

Colored Gemstones

Precious Metals

Fine Watches

Comparison Shopping

Scams

  Huge Discounts

  Investment Gems

Jewelry Appraisal

Jewelry Insurance

 

Colored Gemstones

Introduction

Emerald

Ruby

Sapphire

Other colored gemstones

Colored Gems - the 4 Cs

  Color

  Cut

  Carat

  Clarity

Colored Gem Certificates

Synthetics and Simulents

Gem Treatments

Fracture Filling

Comparison Shopping

GemQuote™ Shopping Checklist (pdf)

Colored Gems – Carat Weight

All gemstones are measured by carat weight. A carat is 1/5 of a gram, or 200 milligrams. The word carat comes from the carob bean, which weighs about 1/5 of a gram and was used as a measure in earlier times.

Stones lighter than a carat are measured in points. There are 100 points in a carat. A point is equal to .01 ct.

(Do not confuse the term carat, the measure of gemstone weight, with karat, the measure for the fineness of gold.)

Read more about carat weight in the diamond section.

Shopping Considerations and Caveats