How big is a 4 carat diamond?

By HeyGema™ · Updated

In short

A 4 carat round diamond measures about 10.2 mm across (0.40 inches) and weighs 0.80 grams. An oval of the same weight is 12.7 x 8.7 mm and an emerald cut 11.1 x 7.9 mm. On a size 6 finger a round 4 carat covers 62% of the width. Pick a shape in the first table for its own 4 carat chart.

Carat to mm calculator

About 10.2 x 10.2 mm

An estimate for a well-cut stone. A deep or shallow cut faces up smaller or bigger.

Round
10.2 mm
Oval
12.7 x 8.7 mm
Cushion
8.9 x 8.9 mm
Princess
8.7 x 8.7 mm
Emerald cut
11.1 x 7.9 mm
Asscher
8.7 x 8.7 mm
Radiant
10.3 x 7.9 mm
Pear
13.5 x 8.7 mm
Marquise
16.5 x 8.3 mm
Heart
10.3 x 10.3 mm
Trillion
11.1 x 11.1 mm
Baguette
12.7 x 6.3 mm
= 5 mm in every picture above
A 4 carat diamond in 12 shapes, drawn to one scale from the chart below.

4 carat diamond size by shape

These are the face-up measurements of a well-cut 4 carat diamond. Weight is the same in every row, but the face-up size is not: the last column compares each cut with a round diamond of the same weight.

Round
Length x width: 10.2 mm
In inches: 0.40 in
Face-up size vs round: -
Oval
Length x width: 12.7 x 8.7 mm
In inches: 0.50 x 0.34 in
Face-up size vs round: +6%
Cushion
Length x width: 8.9 x 8.9 mm
In inches: 0.35 x 0.35 in
Face-up size vs round: -14%
Princess
Length x width: 8.7 x 8.7 mm
In inches: 0.34 x 0.34 in
Face-up size vs round: -8%
Emerald cut
Length x width: 11.1 x 7.9 mm
In inches: 0.44 x 0.31 in
Face-up size vs round: +4%
Asscher
Length x width: 8.7 x 8.7 mm
In inches: 0.34 x 0.34 in
Face-up size vs round: -16%
Radiant
Length x width: 10.3 x 7.9 mm
In inches: 0.41 x 0.31 in
Face-up size vs round: -2%
Pear
Length x width: 13.5 x 8.7 mm
In inches: 0.53 x 0.34 in
Face-up size vs round: -3%
Marquise
Length x width: 16.5 x 8.3 mm
In inches: 0.65 x 0.32 in
Face-up size vs round: +16%
Heart
Length x width: 10.3 x 10.3 mm
In inches: 0.41 x 0.41 in
Face-up size vs round: -17%
Trillion
Length x width: 11.1 x 11.1 mm
In inches: 0.44 x 0.44 in
Face-up size vs round: -14%
Baguette
Length x width: 12.7 x 6.3 mm
In inches: 0.50 x 0.25 in
Face-up size vs round: -2%

4 carat diamond next to a coin

4 ct diamond
10.2 mm
US dime
17.9 mm
US nickel
21.2 mm
US quarter
24.3 mm
A round 4 carat diamond is 10.2 mm wide, 57% of the width of a US dime (17.91 mm).

Is a 4 carat diamond big?

It depends on the hand. A round 4 carat covers 69% of the width of a size 4 finger, 62% of a size 6 and 56% of a size 8. Three to five carats is a statement size. A round stone covers 62% of a size 6 finger's width, and a long shape such as an oval or an emerald cut reads even larger because its length runs along the finger.

10.2 mm
10.2 mm stone on a 16.5 mm finger: it covers 62% of the widthA round 4 carat diamond on a size 6 finger.

4 carat diamond on a finger, by ring size

The share of the finger's width that the stone covers, for the four most searched shapes. Elongated stones sit along the finger, so their width is what you see across it. Try other ring sizes in the diamond size on finger tool.

4
Finger width: 14.9 mm
Round: 69%
Oval: 59%
Cushion: 60%
Emerald cut: 53%
5
Finger width: 15.7 mm
Round: 65%
Oval: 56%
Cushion: 57%
Emerald cut: 51%
6
Finger width: 16.5 mm
Round: 62%
Oval: 53%
Cushion: 54%
Emerald cut: 48%
7
Finger width: 17.3 mm
Round: 59%
Oval: 50%
Cushion: 51%
Emerald cut: 46%
8
Finger width: 18.1 mm
Round: 56%
Oval: 48%
Cushion: 49%
Emerald cut: 44%
9
Finger width: 18.9 mm
Round: 54%
Oval: 46%
Cushion: 47%
Emerald cut: 42%

4 carat compared with nearby sizes

Round diamond diameter for the weights on either side of 4 carat. The last column is the difference in width from a 4 carat stone.

3.5 carat
Round diameter: 9.8 mm
Difference from 4 ct: -0.45 mm
3.75 carat
Round diameter: 10.0 mm
Difference from 4 ct: -0.22 mm
4 (this page)
Round diameter: 10.2 mm
Difference from 4 ct: -
4.5 carat
Round diameter: 10.6 mm
Difference from 4 ct: +0.41 mm
5 carat
Round diameter: 11.0 mm
Difference from 4 ct: +0.79 mm

Other gems at 4 carat

Gems are not all as dense as diamond, so the same weight faces up bigger or smaller. Round stones of 4 carat:

Diamond
Round diameter: 10.2 mm
Against diamond: -
Moissanite
Round diameter: 10.5 mm
Against diamond: +3% wider
Sapphire
Round diameter: 9.8 mm
Against diamond: -4% wider
Ruby
Round diameter: 9.8 mm
Against diamond: -4% wider
Emerald
Round diameter: 11.2 mm
Against diamond: +9% wider
Aquamarine
Round diameter: 11.2 mm
Against diamond: +9% wider
Morganite
Round diameter: 11.1 mm
Against diamond: +8% wider
Tanzanite
Round diameter: 10.4 mm
Against diamond: +2% wider
Topaz
Round diameter: 10.2 mm
Against diamond: same
Amethyst
Round diameter: 11.3 mm
Against diamond: +10% wider
Spinel
Round diameter: 10.2 mm
Against diamond: -1% wider

How these sizes are worked out

We start from the face-up size of a well-cut 1 carat diamond of each shape and scale it with the cube root of the weight and the gem's density. They are estimates for a typical cut. See the methodology for the formulas, or use the calculator above for any weight.

Questions

A 4 carat round diamond is about 10.2 mm across. An oval of the same weight is 12.7 x 8.7 mm, a cushion cut 8.9 x 8.9 mm, a princess cut 8.7 x 8.7 mm and an emerald cut 11.1 x 7.9 mm.
A round 4 carat diamond is about 0.40 inches across.
4 carat is 0.80 grams. One carat is 200 milligrams (0.2 grams).
A round 4 carat covers 62% of the width of a size 6 finger. Three to five carats is a statement size. A round stone covers 62% of a size 6 finger's width, and a long shape such as an oval or an emerald cut reads even larger because its length runs along the finger.
Marquise has the largest face-up area for 4 carat in our chart, +16% against a round. Heart has the smallest, -17%. See the shapes that look biggest.
Yes. A lab grown diamond is chemically the same as a mined one, with the same density, so 4 carat measures the same in mm. See the lab grown diamond size chart.

More size charts