A diamond is forever

One of the most sought-after gemstones in the world, a diamond is irresistible for many reasons. Besides the visible brilliance, a quality diamond also lends itself well to investment. We speak to industry experts to find out what you need to know when you buy this precious stone

‘A diamond is forever’—a slogan from a popular advertising campaign perhaps best encapsulates the fascination that this stone holds for everyone. Endowed with unique characteristics, diamonds have the power to make the wearer look and feel truly priceless! 

 

Quality check So, what is it about diamonds that renders most people speechless? Maybe it is to do with the fact that they are precious and rare. Or perhaps, it is their innate quality to radiate with fiery brilliance. According to experts, it is a combination of these qualities that make a diamond desirable and compels you to possess one.
    Bhavin Rupani, president and spokesperson for Jasani - The Jewellery Lounge, mentions that one of the first things most people learn about diamonds is that not all diamonds are created equal. In fact, every diamond is unique. They come in many sizes, shapes, colours, and with various internal characteristics, which affect their price. “Jewellery professionals use a systematic way to evaluate and discuss these factors. They are called the Five Cs: cut, colour, clarity, carat and certification. In reference to colour, diamonds range from colourless to light yellow and brown, with colourless diamonds being the rarest and the most valuable. The colours are referred to the D-Z scale with D coloured diamonds commanding the highest price. There are also rare pink, yellow and blue colours, which are popular. Regarding clarity, diamonds have internal features called inclusions, and surface
irregularities called blemishes. Together, these are called clarity characteristics. Clarity is the relative absence of inclusions and blemishes. Accordingly, diamonds are graded as IF (Internally Flawless) to SI (Slighly Included). Commercially, VVS (Very Very Slightly Included) and VS (Very Slightly Included) grades are popular,” explains Rupani.
    While the terms and their explanations are intriguing, there is much more to it. Rupani states, “The cut stands for the skillful way in which a diamond has been cut so as to give the best shine and brilliance. It can also refer to the different shapes like marquise, princess, pear, oval, heart, asscher, cushion and emerald. Carat stands for the unit of weight of the diamond; 100 cents make up a carat.”
    Nowadays, a lot of attention is given to certification, which is a recent addition to the vital C factors of diamonds. The jewellery grading institutes grade diamonds on the basis of the aforementioned factors. This benefits the consumer by serving as a guarantee of what he has paid for. It is much like a third-party assurance between the seller and the customer.
    World over, the diamond business depends on the mining of rough diamonds. “South Africa is a major centre for rough diamonds because of the mines located there. It is indeed a hub for procuring rough diamonds and several manufacturers have their
factories located here. Belgium is also a large centre. Here, we have rough diamond producers and dealers, manufacturers and polished diamond wholesalers,” explains Sahil Shah, partner at Mumbai-based Diamines Gems. Thus, from the time it is mined, procured, traded, and then ultimately set into the design, a diamond has travelled across continents! 

On the Indian front While the allure of the stone remains unchanged and people covet it as much now as they did in the past, there is definitely a change in preferences when it comes to design or types of diamonds. According to Ishu Datwani, founder of Anmol Jewellers, “Round brilliant-cut diamonds are the most conventional, though now people have become more experimental [in terms of preferences]. They prefer fancy-cut diamonds like princess, marquise and pear combined with round brilliantcuts. Even a combination of yellow and white diamonds has picked up in a big way, internationally.”
    “Round white diamonds were used in traditional jewellery as they have resale value. However, fancy shapes are in demand by women who want something other than round-shaped diamonds. The use of coloured diamonds like pink and yellow has also picked up recently. Rose-cut and polki diamonds are becoming popular. Fancy shapes and colours combine to create a great piece of jewellery for contemporary women,” adds Rupani.
    Jewellery designer Vidhi Turakhia-Shah observes that women are veering towards classy designs with timeless quality. She also states that people want elaborate designs with an interesting mix of precious stones and diamonds.
    Given the current economic scenario, we wonder, will there be any changes in the demand for diamond jewellery? “Diamonds have always featured as a part of Indian tradition and this will never change. People may prefer a mix of costume jewellery and real diamonds while assembling trousseaus and jewellery collections, but there will always be a demand for bespoke diamonds,” concludes Turakhia-Shah. As they say, diamonds are indeed forever! 
 
    FYI

• The word ‘diamond’ comes from the Greek word adámas, meaning ‘unbreakable’
• To produce a single onecarat diamond, 250 tonnes of earth is mined
• Most diamonds found in nature are between one to three billion years old
• About 80 per cent of the world’s diamonds are not suitable for jewellery