Have you seen the Kohinoor ever? If not, grab the opportunity now. Okay, it's not exactly the real thing, but its replica is on show till October 24 at Naqsh, Delhi's exclusive diamond jewellery boutique. And keeping the Kohinoor company are replicas of 99 of the world's best diamonds. If you want to be a part of the best-of-diamonds world, don't miss Delhi this week.Among the famous names on display are Kohinoor, Shah's Solitaire, Hope, Star of the East, Daria-e-Nur, Eureka, White Golconda, Cullinan, Blue Maharaja, The Kimberly, Earth Star, Pasha of Egypt and Florentine. The replicas have been sent across by diamond daddy De Beers from Italy.
But exhibiting the De Beers kit of 100 best diamonds is only a part of the story. Even as Naqsh director Akshay Shankar Pandya says that educating people on the diamond is the primary objective of the show, the exhibition is also promotional in nature. In the sense that the people who come to this outlet for a glimpse of the famous diamonds, will also be exposed tothe Naqsh collection of diamond jewellery. Thereby, some of them may turn out to be buyers.
Naqsh, which is mostly focussed on the export market, caters to Indian customers, too. Pandya says that the Indian buyer, mainly the upper class, is becoming more fond of diamonds than gold. It's essentially the lure of the diamond that's drawing people to it, he adds. Coming to price, it can be anything between Rs 2,000 and Rs 10 lakh, at the Naqsh showroom.
But is it an investment for people? Replies Pandya: ``It's ultimately the sheer lure of the diamond, which makes one buy diamond jewellery.'' Not so much of an investment really, he maintains. In India, even if people have have this mind-set about looking at diamond jewellery as a possession and as an investment, abroad it's quite not like that. In the US and parts of Europe, where Naqsh exports widely, the focus is more on the overall look-something sleek to wear, rather than something to keep in your safe.
A favourite with the age group of 35-40 plus, whohave some savings, diamond is seen as an international commodity, says Pandya. And believe it or not, Delhi has been declared to have the biggest market for diamonds in the country. This was revealed in a study conducted recently by De Beers. As of now, enjoy the glamour and beauty of the best diamond collection in the world at Naqsh. If you can take some time out after your trip from the Kohinoor to Florentine, look around at the all-diamond store for something precious, something more personal.
The Naqsh showroom is at S-45, Greater Kailash -I, New Delhi
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.