When it comes to diamonds, there are more than a couple of terms to know. These are not just for jewelers but also for customers because they help you make a good decision. Here’s what you need to know about TDW.
What Does a TDW Diamond Mean?
TDW is an abbreviation that stands for total diamond weight and it is measured in carats. This is the term used to define the weight of all the diamonds that are on a single piece of jewelry. It is especially important to take note that it is used to denote the weight in a piece of jewelry that has more than a single diamond.
So, if you are looking at a ring that has four diamonds that are each a quarter of a carat, the TDW of that ring is 1 carat.
What Does TDW Mean in Rings?
The abbreviation TDW in a ring is the weight of all the diamonds in that ring. If your ring has more than one type of gemstone then you will also see another term which is called TGW which will tell you the weight of all the gemstones in that ring.
For instance, if you have a ring with a center diamond and some smaller diamonds, the TDW will tell you the weight of all the diamonds. So, if your center diamond is half a carat and there are two other small diamonds that are one-eighth of a carat, the TDW of that ring will be three-fourths of a carat.
The only rings that won’t come with a TDW value are solitaire rings because they have only a single diamond on them. These rings are measured in carats which is the size of that one diamond.
Now, there is another term called DEW which is diamond equivalent weight. This will tell you the carat weight of a specific gemstone equivalent to a diamond. It is useful when you know the TDW of a ring you have that consists only of diamonds.
If you want to get a new ring with some other gemstone(s) and want to know its weight with respect to your diamond ring, you can look at its DEW. These are all terms that are helpful in assessing the weight of gemstones of different kinds.
TDW is also called by other names like carat weight total, carat total weight and total weight which all mean the same thing. But they are all used for numbers that explain the weight of the entire piece of jewelry, not just one gemstone. It’s important to know this especially when you are looking at advertisements.
For those who are buying wedding sets, you will be looking at one engagement ring and wedding band. Each ring comes with its own TDW value. But sometimes, jewelers like to tell you the carat weight of the whole set. So, be sure to ask if you are looking at individual values or the combined value so that there is no confusion.
For example, the engagement ring might have a TDW of 1 carat and the wedding band could be 0.33 carats. So, the set will have a TDW of 1.33 carats.
Is TDW a Measure of Quality?
The total diamond weight of any piece of jewelry is not an indication, let alone the measure, of its quality. It is a requirement of the Federal Trade Commission that jewelers mention the total diamond weight of jewelry with an accuracy of 0.02 carats. But the quality of the jewelry depends on how the stones are placed.
For example, if you see that a ring has 1.25 TDW, it could mean that there is a 1-carat diamond in the center and two other smaller diamonds with a TDW of one-eighth of a carat.
But it could also mean that there is a one-carat diamond in the center and there are 10 diamonds that are one-eighth of a carat but are spread over the band of the ring as chips. Since the stones are a lot smaller in chip form, they are cheaper individually. This makes the band itself less valuable.
The quality of a diamond is measured in carats. The larger than value, the more your diamond is worth. However, even if two diamonds have the same weight, their value will not be the same because you must also take the four Cs into account—cut, clarity, color and carat weight.
When looking at prices, it helps to remember that large diamonds are usually more sought after than small diamonds even if the quality is the same. That is why a solitaire ring with a one-carat diamond has more value than a ring with more than one diamond (and weighs more than one carat).
Because even though the second example has more diamonds and more overall weight, it will have smaller diamonds which are not as valuable as the single solitaire diamond.
How to Calculate TDW?
You might be surprised to know that the formula to calculate the total diamond weight for any piece of jewelry varies based on the shape of the diamond in question. Here’s how that works.
- First, you must calculate the average diameter of the diamond. For this, you must add the diamond’s width and length and divide it by two.
- Average diameter = (length + width) / 2
- Then, you must double the average diameter and multiply it with the diamond’s depth.
- (Average diameter x 2) / depth of the diamond
For a round diamond, you should multiply the result by 0.0061.
For oval-shaped, heart and triangular diamonds, you should multiply length and width first. That result should be multiplied by specific numbers for specific shapes. For instance:
- For an oval-shaped diamond, it is: (length x width) x 0.0062
- For a heart-shaped diamond, it is: (length x width) x 0.0059
- For a triangular diamond, it is: (length x width) x 0.0057
This is for each diamond and if you add all the values, you get the total diamond weight for a piece of jewelry with diamonds of multiple shapes.
Final Thoughts
TDW stands for total diamond weight and is used to tell you the weight of all the diamonds in a single piece of jewelry. It is a measure of weight and not the quality of the diamonds. The TDW is measured based on the shape of the diamonds. And that’s pretty much it. If this article was helpful, please leave a comment below and share it.
