Think "price per carat" rather than total cost of the stone.
Look out for "total weight" labels on jewelry, as this can include the setting. Don’t pay carat prices for gold bands.
Sapphires are more dense even than diamonds, which means a one carat sapphire could be considerably smaller than a one carat diamond.

A carat is a carat is a carat, and they all equal 1/5 gram. Unless you simply have your heart set on owning the biggest sapphire you can find, carats are relatively unimportant. You only need to know a few sapphire specific signifiers in order to avoid confusion or overspending.

1. Sapphires between 1/2 and 1 carat will be listed as cost per carat. Any stone under 1/2 carat will most likely be labeled by millimeter size.
2. Cut can have an illusory effect, so a 1/2 carat round might appear as large as a 1 carat oval. It’s a good idea to compare rounds with rounds, ovals with ovals, etc.
3. Keep in mind that sapphires vary greatly in price per carat depending on the color. Vivid blue will be far more expensive than yellow or green, but only a little more than most pinks. High quality pinks can also cost more per carat than blue. How’s that for confusing?
4. Anytime you are purchasing a quality gemstone greater than one carat, it’s wise to buy it loose.
5. Since shape and carat weight can greatly affect the per carat price of a sapphire, always think in terms of price per carat rather than total cost.

That’s a lovely little bunch of carat facts to take to market with you. Now you can go weigh your sapphires without putting too much weight on weight.

Answer to quiz: b