“I like to share stories with our customers—how the jewellery was created, how the gemstone was formed. It adds to the allure of the piece they take home,” says Dr Pratap Madhukar Kamath, Managing Director of Abaran, believing that jewellery is not just about adornment but about the connection and history it carries.
.jpg)
Abaran remains deeply rooted in tradition and legacy. “We have a rich heritage of working with natural diamonds since 1935. Back then, we were known as Neo Mart Jewellery, reflecting the British influence that was common in the pre-Independence era,” Pratap shares. As the store was passed down from his grandfather to his father, it was rebranded as Abaran in 1979. “My father wanted a more Indian name, so he placed an advertisement in the newspapers, inviting people to suggest names. He ultimately chose Abaran, which means jewellery in Sanskrit, as it resonated with him for its traditional and all-encompassing essence.”
Pratap’s philosophy of customer-centricity finds roots in the time when buyers would purchase diamonds and insist on having them set in their presence. The brand’s karigars (master artisans) would visit customers’ homes, spending hours meticulously setting each piece, returning the jewellery at the end of the day, and coming back to complete the work. “Over time, we earned their trust, and they began leaving their pieces with us,” recalls Pratap, who believes in working closely with designers and merchandisers to bring customers’ dream designs to life. “We’ve always focused on design at all our stores, and that’s how we have grown,” Pratap says.
This deep understanding of customer preferences and the enthusiasm for personalisation is why Pratap makes it a priority to spend five to six hours on select days at the store, personally consulting with clients. “Spending time interacting helps me place the customer first. More than that, it gives me new perspectives on diamonds. I don’t believe in hard selling diamonds but forming relationships with them and the customers,” he shares.
For Pratap, true awareness of natural diamonds goes beyond their sparkle and affordable luxury—it includes understanding sustainability and ethical sourcing. Recently, a couple brought their daughter to shop for her engagement ring and jewellery when the young woman raised a concern about the environmental impact of diamond mining. “I explained to her that for every acre of mining space, major natural diamond companies contribute nearly a hundred times that area in conservation efforts, creating sustainable ecosystems for their employees and surrounding communities. Moreover, lab-grown diamonds require an enormous amount of energy to produce, whereas natural diamonds have already been formed over millions of years. She was immediately convinced,” he says.
Pratap highlights a shift toward natural diamonds from all-gold jewellery, driven by increased awareness and affordability. “Thirty to forty years ago, diamonds were seen as exclusive to the elite, when limited information and exposure kept them out of reach. Today, global influence has made wearable diamond jewellery the norm,” he remarks. For him, jewellery is the greatest expression of joy, especially for special occasions. Wearers now seek jewellery they can enjoy daily rather than securing in lockers. “Wedding jewellery holds a deep sentiment for everyone, and they want future generations to adorn their heirloom pieces,” Pratap says. This has led to the rise of modular jewellery—versatile designs where a statement necklace can transform into a pendant, earrings, or a ring. “Our challenge is to achieve the perfect balance between aesthetics and cost. We must constantly innovate while striking that fine equilibrium between price and size,” Pratap says about the evolving trend that demands agility in aesthetics.
For Pratap, the fascination with natural diamonds is not just professional—it’s personal. His love for these rare gems dates back to when he first saw one at the age of five and was mesmerised by its mystique and allure. Years later, while studying gemology in New York, his appreciation deepened as he learned about the art and science behind diamonds. As for his own first diamond purchase? “The first diamond I ever received was when my wife, Preeti, gifted me one when we married in 2002. Likewise, that was the first time I gifted someone a natural diamond too,” Pratap smiles.
His passion, however, goes beyond sentiment—it is rooted in an enduring sense of wonder. “This company has been an integral part of me since childhood. But when I learnt that it’s the hardest known substance, my fascination only grew. The charm and allure excite me even today. And the enormity of natural diamonds—the fact that they were formed millions of years ago—still inspires awe in me,” he reflects.
The journey of finding your forever ring is usually a magical and luxurious experience that you remember for a lifetime. However, this process can feel daunting and confusing for many people as there is a minefield of information to sift through before making a decision.
Don't panic; you are not alone. So many of our customers come to us without prior knowledge about the diamond industry or how jewellery is made; it's completely normal. Our job is to guide and advise you so you and your partner can find the perfect ring to announce your commitment.
The four C's make up the grading system that determines the value and quality of a diamond. There are four methods of classifying diamonds: cut, colour, clarity and carat, and each refers to a different attribute when assessing the quality and value of a diamond.
The first of the four C's we will review is cut - often regarded as the most important of the 4 C’s. The cut refers to the quality of the diamond's cut rather than the shape or size and how well the stone is faceted, proportioned and polished. This then determines how the diamond will interact with and refract light. This is the only attribute that is not influenced by nature.
The diamond cut directly influences the brilliance, which is its ability to return light to the eye. Colour and clarity do not affect this at all. Usually, it is recommended that one considers the cut they would like their diamond to have first, as this will impact how their diamond ring sparkles.
A diamond's cut is graded as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. The grading of the diamond in terms of cut doesn't influence the cost as much as the other C's, so most would strive to find a diamond in either the excellent or very good categories, as these will be the best-cut diamond in terms of how they interact with light.
There are several different ways a diamond can be cut: marquise, oval, radiant, emerald, princess, cushion, pear and round brilliant. The dimension and proportion of the stone can make a massive difference to the overall look of the diamond and then the ring as a whole.
A general rule is to keep the length and width ratio balanced, which can also assist in making the stone look bigger than it is. With more elongated cuts, like oval and marquise, the size ratios are determined by both cut and carat weight, which is something to consider when deciding on the overall size of your ring.
The diamond colour grading scale is ranked from D-Z, with D being completely colourless and usually resulting in the highest price. Diamonds ranked Z would have a light yellowish hue which is due to the presence of nitrogen in the stone.
The cut of the diamond will also influence where it ranks on the colour scale. For example, a round brilliant diamond is the most popular cut for engagement rings as it hides colour very well, so you could go for a lower-rated diamond on the colour scale and still have a beautiful sparkler.
If your personal preference is a specific colour, and that's the diamond you want to go for, that is entirely up to you and your partner. Colour is not an indication of better or worse quality; it is just a way of classifying a diamond.
Diamond BraceletThe clarity refers to the number of natural imperfections in the diamond, called inclusions—the GIA grading scale rates diamonds from Flawless to Included. However, there isn't that much difference between a diamond that is graded Flawless or a diamond that is graded Very, Very Slightly Included, at least not to the naked eye.
The most important thing when browsing diamonds is how they look to the naked eye rather than under a microscope. Some customers have a particular grading in mind and won't consider any other options – which is also completely fine; as we say, at the end of the day, it is your forever ring and all that matters is how it makes you feel when you look at it.
Having said this, it usually surprises people how lenient they can be with their diamond choice regarding clarity. Even an SI1 – which means Slightly Included – clarity diamond appears perfect and will usually be much less expensive than a Flawless diamond.
Finding a balance between colour and clarity is key when choosing a diamond. You can easily save money without sacrificing quality by staying on the high end of the colour scale but deviating slightly in clarity, as long as it looks perfect in your and your partner's eyes.
Carat is the last of the 4 C's to consider. When one thinks of the carat of a diamond, one may think it refers to the size of the diamond, but this isn't technically true. The carat relates to a measurement of the weight of the diamond.
According to GIA, one carat converts to approximately 0.2 grams. The larger the carat, the higher the price. It is important to remember that diamonds are naturally occurring stones mined on the earth, meaning no two diamonds are identical.
As the carat only determines the weight rather than the actual size, it should only be considered a guideline. If you had five diamonds lined up, all the same colour, clarity, and cut and all equally precisely 2.00 carats; they would still be slightly different shapes and sizes.
This is beneficial as a diamond that weighs 2.00 carats may look more like a 2.20 carat stone but is still the price of a 2.00-carat diamond. You would be purchasing a stone that appears larger without paying the extra money for a bigger carat.
We have laid out the basic fundamentals around the 4 C's and how they are used in grading diamonds. Hopefully, this has clarified the massive swamp of information that can become overwhelming when researching this important decision.
If you have any questions or need some advice, make an appointment or pop into our store here on Johnsons Court in Dublin. A member of our friendly and knowledgeable team would be delighted to guide you when choosing your forever ring.
When it comes to diamond rings, almost everybody's first thought is about engagement rings. The reality is that not all diamond rings are engagement rings, and not all engagement rings include any diamonds. These days there are many options when it comes to the gemstones in an engagement ring. While wealthy and powerful people have been accustomed to diamond rings for centuries.
The modern diamond engagement ring only became possible when the availability of diamonds increased with the De Beers mines in South Africa. These vast new mines bought the price of a diamond ring within reach of millions of people.
For millennia, diamond rings have been used as jewellery for all sorts of purposes - wedding rings, dress rings, statement pieces - worn by men and women as a show of wealth and power. Here are five of the most frequently asked questions that we receive through contact with our clients.
It just takes one diamond to make a diamond ring - no matter how large or small that diamond might be. Of course, whether a ring with one tiny diamond and a load of cubic zirconia is worth buying as a diamond ring is another question. But yes, if there is one diamond, it is a diamond ring - no matter what a disappointed girlfriend might tell you?
Oh, yes, but of course. For much of history, diamond rings would have been seen on the fingers of kings, pontiffs, and other rich and powerful men as a symbol of their wealth and power. For the past century or so, diamond rings have become much more closely associated with women. Still, the pendulum of fashion is swinging once again!
Often, a couple will choose matching wedding ring sets. The lady's version will be a little showier and the band more slender than the man's version. When seen together as a couple, the unmistakable pairing is clear to see. Some brave men even choose to wear an engagement ring and, usually, the ring will be embellished with at least one diamond. In a suitably manly setting - of course!