What is a Carat?

A unit of weight for precious stones, equal to 200 milligrams. It is thought that the name carat was derived from the carob tree. Carob trees are native to the Old World (Asia, Africa, and Europe) and are known for its uniformly consistent small seeds. Gemstones, including diamonds were weighed for years against these seeds. A diamond that weighs 100 points would also be 1 carat. 1 carat is equal to 100 points. A diamond that is larger than one carat would be listed as a whole number plus the number of points it was. For example a diamond that was 1 carat and 25 points would be listed as 1.25 carats.