At Kirthi Diamonds, founded in 2006 and rooted in a family lineage in the diamond trade since 1975, every piece sold under our name is artisanally crafted by master jewellers with 15+ years of bench experience. Here is how that translates to a tangible difference for the buyer. How mass-produced diamond jewellery is made Mass-produced jewellery is the dominant model in chain-store retail. The process is: 1. A design is finalised in CAD by an in-house team and approved for production. 2. The design is cast in batches — typically 50, 100, or 500 identical units — using lost-wax casting on automated machines. 3. Diamonds are sourced in bulk parcels graded to broad specifications (for example: "G colour, VS clarity, 0.20–0.25 carat"). 4. Setting is performed by machine-assisted setters working from standardised templates. 5. The finished pieces are inventoried, then distributed to retail outlets nationally. The result is jewellery that is consistent, available immediately, and engineered to a target price point. The trade-off is that **no individual piece has been designed for the buyer who eventually purchases it**, and the diamonds within are graded to a range rather than to specific individual certificates. How artisanal diamond jewellery is made Artisanal jewellery inverts the process. The piece is designed around the stone — or around the buyer's brief — and built once. At Kirthi Diamonds, the process is: 1. **Stone selection first.** The diamond is chosen against its individual GIA or IGI certificate, often from loose-stone inventory or commissioned to specification. 2. **Design adapted to the stone.** The setting, prong geometry, and gold weight are calibrated to the exact dimensions and proportions of the specific diamond. 3. **Hand-finished casting.** Where casting is used, the wax model is refined by hand before casting; many of our pieces are also built directly from sheet and wire by the goldsmith. 4. **Master setter mounts each stone.** Setting is done by a craftsman with 15+ years at the bench, working under loupe magnification. There are no setting templates — the prongs are cut and burnished to the individual stone. 5. **Final polish and inspection.** Each piece is polished by hand, inspected against the original design and certificate, and presented in a private viewing at the boutique. The four practical differences a buyer sees 1. The stone in a mass-produced piece is graded to a range; in an artisanal piece, to itself In a mass-produced piece, the printed tag might say "G–H colour, VS–SI clarity". The actual stone could be the better or worse end of that range, and the buyer has no way to verify. In an artisanal piece sold by Kirthi Diamonds, every diamond above 0.30 carats has its **own individual GIA or IGI certificate** with the specific colour grade, clarity grade, cut grade, and measurements. The certificate is yours, with the piece. 2. Construction tolerances are tighter in artisanal work A standardised cast setting has tolerances measured in tenths of a millimetre. Hand-built prong settings can be measured in hundredths. This matters because **a tighter setting holds the stone more securely over decades of wear**, reduces the surface area of metal that obscures the diamond, and allows more light into the stone — which is what makes the diamond visually brilliant. 3. Repair, resize, and remake is genuinely possible A mass-produced piece can be resized in width but rarely re-engineered. An artisanal piece can be substantively reworked — a 22kt gold band can be reset with a new central stone, an inherited solitaire can be moved into a contemporary setting, a Kerala bridal piece can be split into separate everyday pieces. At Kirthi, this is part of our **bespoke remake service** for any Kirthi-original or family heirloom piece. 4. Lifetime accountability The jeweller who made an artisanal piece can repair, value, or buy back that exact piece decades later because the design files, stone certificate, and craftsman are all traceable. A mass-produced piece is traceable only to its SKU. Every Kirthi creation is sold with our **lifetime buyback and exchange policy** — the same workshop that made the piece is the same workshop that stands behind it for the lifetime of the work. Where ethical sourcing fits Both mass-produced and artisanal pieces can be ethically sourced. The difference is again in traceability. Mass-produced pieces typically certify against the Kimberley Process, which prevents conflict diamonds entering the supply chain but does not identify the mine. Artisanal jewellers, including Kirthi Diamonds, often work with smaller parcels from named cutting centres in Antwerp, Surat, Mumbai or Botswana, allowing closer documentation of provenance. The cost question Artisanal diamond jewellery is generally priced 10–30% above mass-produced equivalent designs at chain retail. The reasons are real — more skilled labour, individually certified stones, tighter tolerances, full traceability, and after-sales accountability. The reasons are also distributed across the price the buyer sees over the lifetime of the piece: - **Lower hidden depreciation** — Kirthi's lifetime buyback recovers more of the original price than open-market resale of a SKU-only piece. - **No re-purchase costs** for adjustments and resizing during the piece's life. - **Higher residual value** at the family-inheritance horizon. For a single bridal commission or a long-held solitaire, the artisanal premium typically pays back several times over by the second generation of wear. How to tell the difference when you are buying When you are in a showroom, ask these five questions: 1. Does this specific piece have its own individual diamond certificate, or is it graded to a range? 2. Was this piece cast from a standard SKU or made for me / made on order? 3. Who set the stone, and how many years have they been at the bench? 4. What is the written buyback and exchange policy on the invoice? 5. Can the piece be reworked, restyled, or remade in 10 or 20 years? A mass-produced piece will answer "graded to a range", "from a standard SKU", "machine-set", "exchange policy", and "no" to the last. An artisanal piece will answer with specifics on all five. Frequently Asked Questions Is artisanal diamond jewellery always more expensive than mass-produced? In retail terms, yes — typically 10–30% higher for an equivalent visual design. Over a 20-year holding horizon, including buyback and remake economics, the artisanal piece often costs less in net terms because of higher residual value and the absence of re-purchase costs for adjustments. Are mass-produced diamonds lower quality than artisanal ones? Not necessarily — the diamonds themselves can be excellent. The difference is that mass-produced jewellery diamonds are graded to a *range*, while artisanal pieces have individually certified stones. The grading rigour, not the underlying diamond, is what differs. How long does an artisanal Kirthi Diamonds piece take to make? Standard collection pieces are available immediately from boutique inventory. Bespoke artisanal commissions typically take 4–8 weeks depending on complexity. Investment-grade solitaire mountings are often complete in 2–3 weeks. Can artisanal jewellery be made to match a specific Kerala wedding tradition? Yes — and this is where artisanal work has the clearest advantage. Mass-produced lines rarely cover the specific designs requested for Hindu, Christian, and Muslim Kerala weddings. Kirthi Diamonds maintains a heritage archive of traditional Kerala designs and accepts bespoke commissions interpreting any of them. Where can I see artisanal Kirthi Diamonds work in Kerala? Visit either of our boutiques: Kochi (34/572 By Pass Road, Palarivattom, Mon–Sat 10am–7:30pm) or Calicut (61/11508A, opposite Federal Bank, Puthiyara, Mon–Sat 9:30am–7:30pm). Every piece on display is artisanally finished; bespoke commissions are taken in person or via private appointment.