With Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, the well-known Kohinoor diamond has resurfaced to turn out to be a subject of dialogue on dinner tables and within the Twitter-sphere. Weighing 105.6 carats, this uncut diamond now sits on the crown of King Charles III. At present valued at an estimated $400 million (about Rs 3,184 crore), one can solely surprise what the trajectory of that diamond could be if one invested in it underneath totally different circumstances. If the diamond piece was open to most of the people for funding, would it not be clever to put money into it?

If we glance into the historical past of investments, historically one would put their cash in gold, shares, bonds, property and mutual funds. One could even take into account the brand new age NFTs or bitcoins if that tickles their fancy. However for those who’re seeking to diversify your portfolio with one thing that has long-term advantages, then you must take into account valuable stones as an possibility.

Right here are some things to think about earlier than you begin:

SIZE DOESN’T MATTER

It’s understood within the jewelry business that uncommon valuable stones are essentially the most wanted. However when it comes to investing, a low to medium-sized gem calls for a cheaper price and has the next likelihood of appreciating. It should even be simpler to liquidate.

THE RIGHT GEM

It’s vital to regulate the jewelry traits and select the proper of gem to your funding. It’s at all times a protected wager to choose uncommon classic items, however for those who get your fingers on Burmese rubies, Kashmiri sapphires, Columbian emeralds or any colored diamonds, don’t even pause to assume twice earlier than investing.

TAKE IT TO THE BANK

You could safe your funding in stones. Strive to not retailer them at dwelling, however maintain them safely in a financial institution or locker the place the prospect of injury is low. Keep in mind, water and overexposure to air and humidity can actually injury your jewelry.

DEAL WITH THE BEST

An important issue when investing is to search out and purchase from the best supply. There are various jewellers who want to cross off sub-par-quality gems as one thing else. All the time ask for and verify the certificates. The perfect ones within the business are GIA or IGI authenticated certificates. It is usually vital to do your homework earlier than investing. Examine if the piece has the potential to understand, is it a minimize stone, and what’s the attainable markup you’ll in all probability get after investing. Very like you’ll converse to a health care provider for a second opinion, when investing in gems, it at all times helps to ask one other licensed gemologist for his or her opinion. They may allow you to establish potential professionals and pitfalls of the gemstone you have an interest in.

MAKE MONEY BY ADDING VALUE

You possibly can add worth to your funding in some ways. One simple manner could be to put money into gems and switch your low-value funding right into a high-value one. This may be achieved by, for example, promoting your gems as a collective piece by asking a jeweller to make use of the gems to make a phenomenal jewelled accent that may be bought.

A SAFE BET

It’s protected to say that when the inventory market is in turmoil and foreign money is dropping its worth, jewelry doesn’t fail throughout a recession. What could occur is that one might need fewer patrons for the gems. Nonetheless, the worth of the gem doesn’t deteriorate, making it protected from financial fluctuations.

—The author is the seventh-generation proprietor of Shri Ram Hari Ram Jewellers, Chandni Chowk, Delhi

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