TREND OF COLOURFUL BAUBLES

MELDING CLASSIC ELEGANCE WITH A FIERY SPIRIT, COLOURED DIAMONDS ARE IN PERFECT SYNCHRONY WITH THE FASHION INDUSTRY’S COLOUR FORECAST. EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON THE TREND OF COLOURFUL BAUBLES AND ITS PROMISE OF ETERNAL STYLE

    Canary yellow, champagne beige, indigo blue and candy red—welcome to the intriguing spectrum of coloured diamonds. While retaining all the characteristics that one has come to love in a diamond, coloured diamonds add a glamourous dimension casting a spell of their own. Santosh Srivastava, managing director, Gitanjali Jewels, states, “[Of course] it comes as no surprise that the diamond is the most popular gemstone of all time. But, unlike the past, today’s woman is very much into colours in diamonds; mainly emerald, pale yellow, blue and pink. Nature has created diamonds in shades of blue, green, yellow, orange and pink. These [natural coloured] diamonds are called ‘fancies’ and are extremely rare and highly treasured.”
    The more you learn about them, the less surprising it is that coloured diamonds are now in demand the world over. According to Manju Kothari, creative director, Entice, greater awareness about the existence of coloured diamonds has been one of the primary reasons for their popularity. “While diamonds were considered luxury, now coloured diamonds are true luxury, elevating the definition of luxury a notch higher,” she states. Another contributing factor is an intrinsic desire to stand out from the pack. “People have become more experimental and hence opt for coloured diamonds over plain diamond jewellery. Coloured diamonds are rare and more exotic,” explains Ishu Datwani, founder, Anmol Jewellers. 

A firework display
• Of the variety of colours available, the rarest is a red diamond. Kothari explains, “Black and champagne were a hit a few years ago. Now, yellow and pink are the hot favourites. Rarity plays a major role in the demand.”
    Mahesh Jagwani, jewellery expert and managing director, Mahesh Notandass Fine Jewellery, agrees with Kothari, as he explains, “Yes, rarity does play a role. The more intense or strong the colour appears, the more valuable the diamond. Colour intensity is the most important factor when purchasing a fancy coloured diamond.” According to him, some of the famous coloured diamonds include blue, red, green and yellow diamonds.
    Of course, with limited supplies come high prices. While diamonds are rare, coloured diamonds are rarer than them. Kothari shares, “Approximately 20 per cent of colourless diamonds are of gem quality and of that only one out of every 10,000 carats is naturally coloured. It is this rarity that accounts for their exclusivity and steep price.” In fact, within each shade, the intensity of colour affects its value. Jagwani explains, “A fancy yellow diamond will fetch a higher price than a light-yellow one. The more intense the colour, the more expensive the diamond is...” 

Designs on you
• A clear sign of the increase in demand is the use of coloured diamonds in assorted collections by jewellers. According to Datwani, some of the common requests include chandelier earrings and cocktail jewellery in combinations of yellow and white diamonds. “Also, the central stone of a solitaire ring can be a fancy pink or yellow diamond,” he says.
    In the ‘Colours of Life’ collection designed by Biren Vaidya, managing director at Rose Group of Companies, there is a wide selection of natural intense yellow, blue and pink diamonds. He says, “Every woman possesses diamond jewellery in her ensemble, and it forms the staple [element] of her jewellery collection. But what’s beyond white diamond jewellery? We have seen that patrons are looking for something new, and are especially looking for something that adds colour to their collection; hence, the demand for coloured gemstones including intense diamonds.” When it comes to the selection of stones and settings, Datwani advises, “Firstly, it should be a natural fancy coloured diamond and not a treated one. Jewellery with yellow diamonds should preferably be set in yellow gold or if it’s set in white gold, then at least the part with yellow diamonds should be in yellow gold to enhance the colour of the diamond.” Like Kothari points out, “As coloured diamonds are the rarest, they need to be the focal point of the jewellery piece and thus, a prominent size with due emphasis given in terms of design and placement is the most common request.” 

Final decision
• Given its viability as an investment option, the colour and size of your diamond depends on how you plan to use it. Jagwani refers to industry research indicating for every few 1,00,000 diamonds that are mined, only one possesses enough natural colour to be referred to as a fancy coloured diamond. He says, “In recent years, fancy coloured diamonds, especially the larger and rarer ones, have emerged as a unique and attractive investment opportunity, with prices showing sturdy appreciation and proving to be resilient to adverse economic conditions. [Moreover] coloured diamonds don’t fade with time!” However, the purchase of jewellery is quite often driven by emotion and a desire to own something truly precious, which is why Kothari’s rationale will resonate with many people. She says, “The benefits of buying a coloured diamond are more emotional, as one gets to own a part of the rarest of the rare from what Mother Nature has to offer!”