{"id":4080,"date":"2011-05-10T09:38:00","date_gmt":"2011-05-10T13:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=4080"},"modified":"2015-05-24T11:55:34","modified_gmt":"2015-05-24T15:55:34","slug":"ct-versus-ctw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/ct-versus-ctw\/","title":{"rendered":"CT VERSUS CTW"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"CT<\/div>\n

This is something that you really have to watch out for when you’re shopping and comparing Diamonds and Quality<\/strong>…<\/p>\n

\nThe difference between Carats and Carat Total Weights!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The two are totally different things, but if you’re not careful, you could be mislead<\/strong> and think you’re getting a good deal, when in fact, you’re NOT!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carats<\/h2>\n

\nCarat, or Carat Weight<\/strong> can be written as CT<\/strong> (Carat), or CW<\/strong> (Carat Weight). The true definition of Carat (CT) is:<\/strong> the Carat Weight of any Diamond. If a Diamond is 50 points, then it’s 1\/2 Carat. If the Diamond is 25 points, it’s 1\/4 Carat.<\/p>\n

\nWhen you’re looking at Solitaire (single) Diamonds, comparing Carat Weights is easy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nYou can compare any 80 point Diamond<\/a> at one store, to another 80 point Diamond at another and find out who is giving you the better deal. No problem!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nCarat Weights are simple. A One Carat Diamond is a Diamond with 100 points (like 100 Pennies equals One Dollar<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

\nSo with Solitaire Engagement Rings, Carats are easy and everybody is on the same page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nCarat Total Weights are NOT so easy!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carat Total Weights<\/h2>\n

\nCarat Total Weight can be written as CTW <\/strong>(Carat Total Weight), CWT <\/strong>(Carat Weight Total) and sometimes even TW<\/strong> (Total Weight) or TDW<\/strong> (Total Diamond Weight).<\/p>\n

\nWhen you see Carat Total Weight after a number (like .80 CTW<\/strong>), that means that it’s the total combined weight<\/strong> of all the Diamonds<\/strong> in the ring. It’s the Carat Weight of everything<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nYou won’t find CTW listed on a Solitaire Ring, but you will see it listed if the Ring or Mounting has side Diamonds, or if the Ring is a Wedding Set (both Engagement Ring and Wedding Ring).<\/p>\n

\nCTW means every Diamond in the ring has been added together<\/strong> as one and the total weight is given.<\/p>\n

\nLook at the picture below to see the difference between a 1.00 CT Diamond Ring and a couple of other Rings that have 1.00 CTW.<\/p>\n

\n\"Diamond<\/p>\n

\nAs you can clearly see, the 1.00 point Diamond Solitaire has One huge Diamond ($10,000<\/strong>), while the other rings (CTW) have smaller stones that accumulate the same weight.<\/p>\n

\nIn the examples above, all the Diamonds are VS1, F Color<\/a>, but the difference in price is extreme! $7,000 difference?<\/p>\n

More is Less<\/h2>\n

\nThe more your Carat Weight is broken up into smaller Diamonds, the cheaper the price will be<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nThat’s why Invisible Set Diamonds are so popular… <\/strong>They give the image of a bigger Diamond, but without the price! Invisible Set Diamonds are small Diamonds pieced together like a puzzle to look like a bigger Diamond (see picture below).<\/p>\n

\nIllusion heads are the same way, but with illusion heads (which have been around forever and used frequently in Trio Sets<\/strong>) the Diamond in the center IS smaller. And sometimes it gets really small<\/strong>. The head it sits in is large and gives the illusion that the Diamond is much bigger. Big look, cheap price as you can see from the examples and prices below…<\/p>\n

\n\"Diamond<\/p>\n

\nBuying Diamonds like this is great, as long as you know that the Carat Weights are distributed<\/strong> and maybe even a little deceiving<\/strong>. It’s when you don’t know, that you could get taken <\/strong>(misinformed).<\/p>\n

\nI had a girl come into the store not too long ago, to compare Wedding Sets. She said she saw a “One Carat that sold for $2999<\/strong>“. I asked her if that was “One Carat in the center of the ring, or One Carat Total Weight of the entire set?”<\/p>\n

She didn’t know!<\/h2>\n

\nHow can one shop and compare if they don’t know what they’re shopping and comparing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nThis stuff is important <\/strong>and the difference in price could be thousands<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nI could show you a Diamond Ring with One Carat Total Weight (50 small Diamonds<\/strong>) that sells for only $799<\/strong>…<\/p>\n

The bottom line is:<\/h2>\n

\nYou have to be careful<\/strong> when you price Carats and Carat Total Weights!<\/p>\n

\nIf you really want to compare Diamonds and Quality, you’ll have to know what the Carat Weights are of everything involved.<\/p>\n

\nGet the Carat Weight of the Center Diamond first. That’s the most important Carat Weight. Then get the Carat Weight of the side stones. Write them down on a business card for reference later like this:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n