When it comes to purchasing a diamond, the initial stages might make it seem as though it’s all about the color and clarity grade. However, at Lauren B, we’ve mastered the art of the entire diamond selection process to ensure our own inventory is made up of exceptional options for your engagement ring.

This featured blog is all about the “spread” of a diamond. Carat weight is a measure of weight, simply put – we put a diamond on a scale and determine how heavy it is. The weight alone does not tell us exactly where in the diamond that weight lies. The way in which we reference this factor is called “carat weight distribution”. This specifically helps to describe what direction the carat weight is dispersed: Does it lie trapped in the belly of the diamond with most of the carat weight buried beneath the surface? Or is it very nicely distributed across the surface of the diamond giving it a more spready appearance?

The way the surface area of a diamond is measured is by the millimeter measurements of the diamond’s length, width, and depth, and it is actually listed BEFORE the carat weight on any GIA certificate. It’s not a coincidence that GIA is telling us exactly how big the diamond is before disclosing what it weighs, because its dimensional surface area is more important!

At Lauren B., our hand-curated diamonds typically face-up 20% larger than the competition with equivalent carat weight. For example, our 2ct. oval diamonds often show more similar millimeter measurements to a 2.2-2.3ct. Purchasing a diamond that’s spready is a better value, as diamonds that fall below the average millimeter measurement requirements are typically traded at a higher discount and worth significantly less. It’s no “secret” that our clients feel that bigger is more aesthetically pleasing as well! 🙂