Information about Carat Weight - Carat or Karat? History and Origin Carat of Karat? This confuses many people but the correct word is carat! It is sometimes incorrectly spelled as “karat” which refers to the fineness of pure gold and gold alloys. What about the history and origins of the word 'carat'? Where does the term 'carat' originate? The word carat derives from the Greek word 'keration' meaning fruit of the carob. The Carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua) is an evergreen tree, with an edible pod containing seeds, which is native to the Mediterranean region. The seeds of the Carob were used on precision scales as units of weight for small quantities of precious gemstones because of their uniform size. The weight of an average carob seed is 200 milligrams. The weight of one carat is precisely 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams. Carat Weight defines the weight, not the size, of a Diamond The term 'carat' is often misunderstood to mean the size of a diamond. The size of a diamond relate to the dimensions or measurement in terms of length, width and height. The carat weight is the standard unit of measure that defines the weight of a diamond. Information and Definition The following definition can be used to clarify Carat Weight: |