 Diamonds - Now within reach
 Chennaivasis are basically a traditional lot. Usually diamonds are bought as part of the wedding trousseau. There is a lot of sentimental value attached to such purchases. Traditionally, such purchases are placed at home for a few days or a week to check out "doshan", if any. By this, they try to find out if any untoward incident or good incident takes places while it was kept at home. These days, stones are by far flawless and dosham-free. The designs are now targeted at the youth and working women. They are more pocket-friendly and trendy.
Chennai's shopping paradise, T Nagar, has the cream of jewellers, textile shops, restaurants, etc. You name it and T Nagar has it! Usman Road in T Nagar, must be one of the busiest thoroughfares in the world, and has been called the New York of IndiaJ. The street is milling with people shopping. There does not seem any slowdown of shoppers at any time of the year here.
There was a time when the month of Adi (mid July-mid August) was considered inauspicious for any purchases. Came Pothys, the textile giant from Tirunelveli, and the scenario turned upside down. Adi became a season of discount sales called 'Adi Kazhivu'. The month of Adi clocks maximum sales after Deepavali, with the hefty discount sales being offered by almost all the shops!
 Jewellers have also fallen in line. They offer discounted sales in the dull months. The advertising strategy of each jeweller is so attractive these days. Gone are the days when name alone counted. Jewellers now sporting special collections. It is the season of credit these days. Jewellers have tied up with finance giants like ICICI and HDFC Bank and come up with innovative schemes. You are easily swayed into buying jewellery with such schemes.
Earlier, jewellers used to have a couple of counters for diamond jewellery. Now they have separate floors and whole showrooms for diamonds aloneJ. That just goes to show that purchasing power is much higher than before. People want innovations and variety. They are given that and more by way of slick marketing!
There are many leaders in diamond jewellery in Chennai. Some big names include Bapalal Mehta, Mehta Jewellers, G R ThangaMaligai, T B Jewellery, Prince Jewellery, Sugal and Damani Jewellers, Vummidiars, Lalitha Jewellery and
Khazana.
Prince Jewellery, owned by Princeton Jose, has been in the limelight recently, after winning the Best International Designer award for diamonds. Smitha, winning designer for Prince, had designed a beautiful piece called 'The Great Journey'. It weighed 61.55 carats of diamonds in 18K white gold of 342.32 grams, costing a whopping Rs 21
lakh.
Prince has hallmarked BIS jewellery. Besides the branded collections, it has its own collections called 'Eterna' and 'Vivaha' jewellery. 'Eterna' consists of coloured stones and diamonds in elegant and delicate settings. The variety offered in rings, earrings and necklaces are affordable and very attractive. The price starts at Rs 2,000 and from 5 cents onwards. The Vivaha jewellery comprises bangles and necklaces specially designed as wedding collections.
Prince also has a collection called 'Inseperable Diamonds'. Diamonds are fused together in a pressure setting to resemble solitaires. Prices start at Rs 5,000. The pieces are certified by IGI- International Gemological Institute.
 The shop offers special discounts for Onam, with a special Onam saree. Christmas and New Year see brisk sales. 'New for Old' offers are made at the time of Vishu (the Malayalee New Year). Prince Jewellery received the Best Achiever award for sales in diamonds in 2004. They use VVS1 clarity, pure white, round, brilliant cut diamonds for their own collections. Fast moving pieces are rings at Rs 5000 and above, studs Rs10,000-plus, and pendants R .2,0000-plus. Youngsters are buying more these days than before, as designs are made to suit their tastes and pockets.
For a view of some of the Prince Jewellery collections, log on to
www.princejewellery.com
Swarnalaya Jewellery on Venkatanarayana Road, T Nagar, offers the 1 carat diamond jewellery collection. Its proprietor A Sukumaran says that their collection is trendy and affordable. Their 1 carat diamond necklaces are set in 18K gold, with colourless, flawless diamonds. These very elegant and delicate pieces are priced from Rs 39,000 onwards. A pair of diamond eardrops cost Rs 12,000 and more. They also have 1 carat sets with a pair of eardrops and chain with pendant ranging around Rs 40,000.
T B Jewellery, next to Panagal Park, offers an assortment of rings, nosepins, earrings and pendants priced from Rs1,500 onwards.
We will continue our window-shopping... err... Net-shopping, next week.
Sangita Sridhar
E-mail: geeth000@yahoo.com
2/2 Ramanathan St.,
T.Nagar,
Chennai 600 017.
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