Models showcase jewellery designed by Varda Goenka at an interactive session on gems and jewels. Picture by Rashbehari Das

April-born women are the hardest to please in the gem game, as diamonds dictate their destiny. This was just one of the tit-bits revealed at an interactive session with members of the Empress Club at jewellery designer Varda Goenka?s showroom Diagold on Lee Road.

The session turned out to be informative and entertaining, with interesting stories, anecdotes, facts and news about the latest trends in diamonds coming out of the jewellery box. And all this through a stylish fashion show with Goenka providing an informative introduction prior to each exhibit in a relaxed coffee-time ambience.

Gem jam

A talk on gems in relation with the months of the year kick-started the show. If you are sick of listening to your astrologer dictate what stones you should or should not flaunt, go the birth stone way.

Garnets for the January born, purple amethyst for February, aquamarine for March, diamond for April, emerald for May, pearl and moonstone for June, ruby for July, peridot for August?goes the gem calendar.

?With September comes the fabled sapphire and the story of the blue-eyed, golden-haired princess who waited for years for her beloved and finally drowned herself in grief. The prince returned only to find her two eyes floating in a pool of water. They were sapphires. Hence, many tend to associate it with bad luck,? shared Goenka.

For the wintry months of October, November and December opal, topaz and turquoise are best suited, respectively. ?Semi-precious stones like these can be found in a variety of colours and worn with mostly anything and everything,? advised Goenka. ?Turquoise, however, is the most trendy gem and is the colour of the season.?

Carat caution

An informative session followed. What should one look for when it comes to diamonds, was the paramount question on everyone?s mind. ?The 4 Cs of colour, clarity, cut and carat,? summed up Goenka. The less colour the better, was the first thumb rule. ?The whitest white is often the purest,? stressed Goenka. Clarity is affected by the purity of the carbon from which it is formed. Those blinded by sparkle, remember the cut or shape of the diamond is also very important and what?s bigger is not necessarily better.

Round diamonds are also called marquis-shaped, while a princess-cut gem will be a perfect square.

Beware of flat diamonds, which are ?very popular in India as they look big?. These are the most deceptive of the lot as they tend to lack lustre for all their illusions of size.

The carat caution is the most basic. Be sure to weigh the rock before you buy it!

Dazzle delight

A blast from the bedazzled past was next. ?The first diamond was found in India, in the Golconda Mines,? explained Goenka.

Popular legends about the stone followed. Like the one about the jewel that belonged to the Srirangam Temple in the 17th Century, where the eyes of the idol of Lord Vishnu were made of the ?largest diamonds ever?.

However, one of the eyes was soon smuggled by a Frenchman into England, where he sold it for ? 2,000. It can now be found on the imperial Russian sceptre.

?Weighing 189 carats and having the best clarity in the world, this rose-cut diamond was a prized miss,? smiled Goenka.

Trend tips

Cut to the present: ?chandelier earrings, cocktail rings, broad bracelets, lots of colour and white-on-white diamonds are all the rage this season as far as international trends go,? said the designer.

The dominant trend in the Indian market today is the antique kundan look with large emeralds, tourmalines, rubies and uncut diamonds or vilandis, clearly inspired by Indian royalty, she added.

Polishes like rhodium or matte finish are other ways of sprucing up trendier jewels, she suggested.