About Scales for Weighing Diamonds

The cut, color and brilliance of a diamond have a combined effect on its value, but the weight of a diamond is the first consideration when determining its basic value. Minute variations in the diamond's weight can keep it in a lower cost category or bump it up to the next level. The use of precision weighing instruments is crucial.

Weight Measurements

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      The weight of a diamond is measured using a unit called a "carat," which is 200 milligrams. Smaller diamonds are measured in "points" rather than carats. One carat is equivalent to 100 points. For example, if a diamond's weight is 25 points, it is a 0.25 gemstone, or one quarter of a carat. Diamonds are assigned an individual carat value (ct) and also as the total carat weight (ct TW) of multiple diamonds in a single setting.

Considerations for Value

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      Large diamonds are more rare and in higher demand than small diamonds so are considered more valuable. They are in higher demand and fetch a much greater price on the market. For example, a ring with a diamond of one carat is more valuable than a ring with multiple small diamonds weighing over one carat in total weight. A diamond of 9/10 of a carat is far less valuable than a stone weighing a full carat.

Reliability and Tolerance

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      In the industry, diamonds are weighed in metric carats to one-thousandth of a carat. It is rounded up to the nearest one-hundredth of a carat. Reliability and tolerance are critical in a scale used to weigh diamonds. Reliability is the scale's ability to repeatedly produce accurate results. The tolerance of the scale is its ability to measure accurately within a given range. For example, one scale could measure accurately within 0.5 milligrams, while another is consistently accurate within 0.1 milligrams.

Calibration

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      The level of accuracy in a high-precision diamond scale can degrade over a period of daily use. Each make and model of scale has a tested level of accuracy that must be regularly verified to ensure it is functioning at its best. Calibration using a set of calibration objects is done to maintain the optimal performance of the machine. The potential for discrepancies is eliminated when the scale can consistently output measurements within its accepted tolerance level.

Identification

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      Accuracy in weight is required not only for properly assessing the value of a diamond, but it's also needed to correctly identify a particular gemstone. When a jeweler receives a shipment of diamonds, each gem is assigned an identification number based on its characteristics, including weight. The jeweler must be able to match the diamond's weight within the given tolerance of the scale to ensure she has the actual gemstone listed in the shipping information. The Gemological Institute of America uses devices manufactured by Sarin Technologies Ltd. to assess diamonds.


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