Did you ever wonder where the word “carat” comes from? The term is a derivative of the word “carob.” Carob seeds were used as a reference for diamond weight in ancient civilizations because of their uniformity in weight. One carob seed is equivalent to one carat.
The price of a diamond does not double for each doubling of the carat. In other words, a 2-carat diamond does not cost twice as much a 1-carat diamond. The cost of a diamond increases exponentially with an increase in weight. This is because larger diamonds are rarer than smaller diamonds, and the rarity increases the value of a larger diamond.
It is important to realize that a 2-carat diamond may not look twice the size of a 1-carat diamond when mounted. Multiple diamonds that total 1-carat weight are not as valuable as a single diamond of 1-carat weight. Some retailers will publish the total carat weight and fool a consumer into believing this.
Remember, the carat is not the most important feature of a diamond. The other characteristics (Cut, Color, Clarity) of a diamond are just as important to obtain the best quality.