JEWEL SCHOOL OF ROCK

You’ve passed through the opulent doors and have approached the showcase with almost 100 diamond rings winking at you under changing angles of light—each gracefully pining for your attention. Before, the hundreds of cut and setting combinations would have been overwhelming, but now you’re armed with knowledge of the 4 C's and a good idea of what you’re looking for—a 1 Carat Engagement Ring.

The associate takes you over to see the variety of rings matching your description and you spot two adjacent “1 Carat” rings, seemingly similar, but with drastically different prices. Based on your knowledge, the diamonds are of similar quality, so what could possibly set them apart’

Maybe it’s time we covered the ABC’s of Carat Total Weight (CTW).

A – Addressing the distinction

In the jewelry trade, there are two ratings used to describe diamonds, Carat (ct) and Carat Total Weight (CTW).

Jewelers use Carat to describe individual diamonds, and Carat Total Weight to describe the summation of mass of every diamond in a complete piece of jewelry. Individual diamonds become increasingly rare and valuable with a higher (ct). But in our example, if one of the 1 Carat rings was made with a single 0.5 Carat center diamond, set with 5 smaller .1 carat diamonds forming a halo, then its CTW would be 1 Carat. This would make it less expensive than a ring with a single 1 Carat diamond.

B – Benefits of choosing a jeweler you can trust

Jewelers typically use the CTW for the sake of simplicity and convenience when describing different diamonds and settings to potential buyers. Most have no intention to mislead you and will happily explain the difference between the (ct) and the CTW of the pieces that catch your eye.

Unfortunately, though, there are some sellers, when under pressure, who might take advantage of unaware buyers new to the market. To minimize your risk, always buy directly from reliable and trustworthy sources of diamonds. Morgan Jewelers’ associates will guide you through the process, giving you a clear understanding of your diamond jewelry.

C – Consider asking a question

Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions. That’s what the sales representatives and jewelers are there for. If something is unclear to you, then have it explained step-by-step. After your purchase, it’s going to be yours forever. And you should always feel great about your diamond jewelry.

Hoping for gems and jewelers with full transparency’

At Morgan Jewelers, you’ll always find the highest quality diamonds, precious metals, and gemstones, but integrity is what really sets us apart. Visit your local store today to always receive fair prices, full disclosure, and friendly attitudes.