Ever wonder where the term ‘carat’ originates from?

 

‘Carat’ is a term used to describe the weight of a diamond, and the word originates from Ceratonia siliqua, commonly known as the Carob tree.

 

In ancient times, before scales and units of mass were invented, diamond traders compared the weight of a diamond to the seeds of the Carob tree. Each Carob seed had a uniform weight, equal to 0.20 grams or 200 milligrams and hence determined the weight of the diamond.