Carat (mass) facts for kids
The carat is a special unit used to measure the mass (or weight) of precious items. It's mainly used for sparkling gemstones like diamonds and colorful pearls.
Imagine a tiny weight: one carat is exactly 0.2 grams. That's like the weight of a small paperclip! This specific weight for a carat was decided a long time ago, in 1907, by a big international meeting called the General Conference on Weights and Measures.
Sometimes, you might hear about a carat being divided into "points." Each point is super tiny, weighing just 2 milligrams. So, a 1-carat gemstone has 100 points. This helps jewelers be very precise when measuring small gems.
What is a Carat?
A carat is a unit of weight, not size. A larger diamond might not always weigh more if it's cut differently. The word "carat" comes from the carob seed, which ancient traders used as a small weight because they thought the seeds were all the same size.
Why is it Important?
The weight of a gemstone, measured in carats, is one of the most important factors in deciding its value. Heavier gemstones are usually rarer and more expensive. Jewelers use very precise scales to weigh gemstones and pearls to make sure they get the exact carat weight.
Images for kids
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This special scale helps jewelers weigh diamonds and other gemstones in carats.
See also
- In Spanish: Quilate para niños
