A 2 carat round diamond is about 8.2 mm across, roughly the width of a pencil eraser, and reads as a substantial stone on any hand. Carat is weight, not size, so shape changes the spread: a 2 carat oval stretches to about 10.5 mm long. Dorvelle sets 1 to 3 carat lab-grown diamonds in sterling silver.
Carat is weight
A carat is 0.2 grams of weight, not a measure of size: the number on a listing is what the stone weighs, and the millimeter figure is what it measures across. Two stones of the same weight can differ in size on the hand if one is cut deeper than the other, and two stones of the same spread can differ in weight for the same reason. The millimeter figure is the one your eye sees.
Round diamonds, by carat
A well-cut round brilliant measures about 5.1 mm at half a carat, 6.5 mm at 1 ct, 7.4 mm at 1.5 ct, 8.2 mm at 2 ct and 9.3 mm at 3 ct, by the trade’s standard conversion charts. Individual stones vary a little either way.
The jump from 1 to 2 carats is not a doubling of the look. The diameter grows about a quarter, because weight grows with volume and the eye reads area. That is why a 2 carat stone looks clearly bigger than a 1 carat, but not twice as big.
| Carat | Round brilliant diameter |
|---|---|
| 0.5 ct | About 5.1 mm |
| 1 ct | About 6.5 mm |
| 1.5 ct | About 7.4 mm |
| 2 ct | About 8.2 mm |
| 3 ct | About 9.3 mm |
Other shapes, same weight
Elongated shapes spread their weight along one axis and look larger for the carat: a 2 carat oval runs about 10.5 by 7 mm and an emerald cut about 9.8 by 7 mm, against 8.2 mm across for a round. At 2 carats:
- Oval: about 10.5 by 7 mm
- Emerald cut: about 9.8 by 7 mm
- Princess: about 7.3 mm square
- Cushion: about 7.5 mm square, a little more if elongated
A 2 carat oval covers more of the finger than a 2 carat round. That is the whole appeal of the oval, and the reason the oval hidden halo, at 2.22 ct, looks the way it does.
On the hand
The same 2 carat round reads differently by finger: on a size 5 finger it looks commanding, on a size 8 it looks balanced, so judge size on the hand that will wear it. If you can, find a ring with a known stone size and try it, or draw an 8 mm circle on paper and set it on your finger. Our ring size guide covers the finger measurement; how to find your ring size at home covers the method.
Why 2 carats is now an ordinary number
Lab-grown diamonds made 2 carats an ordinary number: for most of the diamond’s history a 2 carat stone was a serious piece of money and 1 carat was the aspiration, and now the metal around the stone is the larger cost. Why the metal became the expensive part sets out the numbers. The practical result is that 2 carats is the center of the Dorvelle collection, not the top of it.
Dorvelle pieces by carat
Dorvelle sets lab-grown diamonds from 1 to 3 carats, with 2 carats at the center of the collection, in solitaires, hidden halos, studs and pendants.
One carat. The round solitaire, 1 ct, D color, VS1. The round studs, 1 ct and the round solitaire pendant, 1 ct.
One and a half carats. The oval solitaire, the marquise solitaire and the round hidden halo. In earrings, the round studs, 1.5 ct.
Two carats. The round solitaire, 2 ct, 2.02 ct, D VVS2. The cushion solitaire, the pear solitaire and the oval hidden halo. In earrings, the oval studs, 2 ct.
Three carats. The round solitaire, 3 ct at 9.3 mm, the emerald cut solitaire, 3 ct and the oval hidden halo, 3 ct.
Every page lists the exact carat weight, shape, color and clarity. Center stones over one carat come with a lab report.
