: A diamond is like the first edition of a celebrated book or like an exquisite wine that has aged with grace. It’s rare, authentic and magical withstanding the tests of time. For centuries this coveted piece of stone has been celebrated and given a special status. But the question is do we really know our diamonds, the ones we buy? What makes one diamond more valuable than the other? What is the most important factor to be kept in buying while buying a piece of diamond -- the cut, the colour or clarity, the shape or carat? Tanishq jewellery in Madurai organized a workshop to educate its customers on the whats and whys of the diamond trade and the importance of knowing them. It was first of its kind educational initiative in the South India and well attended by over 150 cherished customers. The session was handled by Vidya Mazumdar, a leading expert in jewellery and diamond industry, who came from Antwerp. She explained the process of natural formation of diamonds under extreme pressure and temperatures as high as 1100o C and outlined the geographical distribution of diamond mines in countries across the world. “Of all the diamonds that get mined throughout the planet only three per cent goes into jewellery making and the rest are used for industrial purposes,” Vidya told her attentive audience and shared some interesting history and folklore relating to blood diamonds like the black orlov also known as eye of Brahma, the Kohinoor, the Hope diamond and the Lesedi la rona from Bostwana. “Purchasing a diamond includes careful consideration and comparison between the 4C’s – Cut, colour, clarity and carat. The sparkle of a diamond is decided by its cut (symmetry) while clarity refers to the flaws or doshams in diamonds that include external blemishes and internal inclusions resulting from other crystals or diamond fused within a diamond. Based on the budget, one may choose between clarity grades like VVS1 (Very very slightly included) or an SI1(Slightly included). Carat refers to the weight of a diamond and depending on proper cut a single carat (200 mg) diamond can cost as high as five lakhs. An absolutely colourless diamond has a higher price and the prices drop lowest for a diamond with a pale yellow shade.” The audience got to inspect various diamond samples and understand the intricacies of a diamond’s nature. Speaking about shapes and coloured diamonds, Vidhya added, “Diamonds exist in every imaginable colour including red, blue, pink, purple, orange and the price factor is determined by the intensity of the colour, its rarity and demand. Diamonds are cut in different shapes like round, emerald, marquise, oval, pearl and heart. The round cut diamonds are more popular and hence highly priced.” Vidhya, who also designs the course structure for jewellery as the Head of Indian education in Gemological Science International, says “ With the Indian middle class showing more interest in owning diamonds, it becomes more important than ever for the customers to know the worth of the product they are investing their hard earned money in.” Vivitha Arun, who runs the cheese corner at Chokkikulam and a regular customer of Tanishq, said the workshop was an eye-opener. “I have been purchasing diamonds for a long time now but I did not know coloured diamonds are naturally found! I now feel more confident about what to look for in diamonds.” Sridevi Suresh, a franchisee of Tanishq and organizer of the event says, “The power and magnificence of a diamond can be truly appreciated only with proper knowledge. Though a jeweller can vouch for authenticity, this workshop was organized with an intention to help customers make their own judgements and to clarify misconceptions when it comes to diamond trade.”

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