What Does CTW Mean in Jewellery? Carat Total Weight

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    By Clint Casmiro, Co-Founder, Smiro Studio · Updated October 29, 2026

    Short answer: CTW means carat total weight: the weight of every diamond in a piece added together. A 2 ctw pair of studs is two diamonds of about 1 carat each, and a 2 ctw tennis bracelet is many small diamonds. That is why our 2 ctw lab grown tennis bracelet is $2,200 CAD, while a single 2 carat lab grown diamond ran a median of $2,546 CAD loose.

    Lab grown diamond tennis necklace with round diamonds in white gold

    You see ctw on every tennis bracelet, pair of studs and eternity band, ours included.

    What does ctw mean?

    Carat total weight. It adds up the weight of every diamond in the piece. You will also see it written as ct tw, tw or c.t.w.; they all mean the same thing. It tells you how much diamond is in the piece, not how big any one stone is.

    How is carat weight written on our pieces?

    Piece What the carat weight means Our listed price
    Stud earrings The total for the pair 2 ctw: $1,399
    Tennis bracelet Every diamond in the bracelet 2 ctw: $2,200
    Tennis necklace Every diamond in the necklace 3 ctw: $5,950
    Full eternity band Every diamond around the band 2 ctw: $2,450
    Engagement ring The centre stone, listed on its own With a 2 ct centre: around $4,500

    Lab grown diamonds, 14K gold, CAD, listed October 2026.

    Why does 2 ctw cost less than one 2 carat diamond?

    Because a single large diamond costs more per carat than many small ones that add up to the same weight. Our own list shows it: a 2 ctw tennis bracelet is $2,200 CAD complete, while a single 2 carat lab grown diamond ran a median of $2,546 CAD loose, before any setting.

    All the bracelet prices are in how much is a tennis bracelet.

    How big is each stone in a pair of studs?

    Half the total. A 2 ctw pair is two diamonds of about 1 carat each, and a 1 ctw pair is two of about half a carat. Ours run from 0.5 ctw to 6 ctw. See are lab grown diamond earrings worth it.

    Do ctw pieces come with certificates?

    Each diamond of 1 carat and up that we sell comes with an IGI report, so a 2 ctw pair of studs comes with certified stones. Small accent diamonds are not certified one by one anywhere, because grading would cost more than the stone, so a tennis bracelet's grade is given for the line: ours are D to F colour, VS1 and up.

    Questions about a bracelet, studs or a band?

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    From our collection

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    Questions we get about this

    What does ctw mean?

    Carat total weight: the weight of every diamond in a piece added together.

    Is 1 ctw the same as a 1 carat diamond?

    No. 1 ctw can be many small diamonds adding up to one carat. A 1 carat diamond is a single stone.

    How big is each diamond in 2 ctw studs?

    About 1 carat each, since the 2 carats are shared between the pair.

    Why is a 2 ctw tennis bracelet cheaper than a 2 carat diamond?

    A single large diamond costs more per carat than many small ones. Our 2 ctw lab grown tennis bracelet is $2,200 CAD, while a 2 carat lab grown diamond ran a median of $2,546 CAD loose.

    Keep reading

    Written by Clint Casmiro, co-founder of Smiro Studio with Karina. We are second generation jewellers. Our dad Kenny has more than 40 years at the bench and oversees production, and we have built over a thousand tulip basket rings. Every ring is designed in CAD and you approve 3D renderings before production. We ship free and insured across Canada and the US.

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