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FANCY COLORED DIAMONDS

FANCY COLOR MARKET SLUGGISH DURING Q2 2019, BUT PINK-COLORED STONES BUOYANT, REPORTS FCRF

While the fancy color diamond market cooled off ever so slightly, pink diamonds remained a hot commodity, the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) has noted in its quarterly report. 

The Fancy Color Diamond Index tracks pricing data for yellow, pink and blue fancy-color diamonds in Hong Kong, New York, Geneva and Tel Aviv.

According to FCRF, the organization’s Fancy Color Diamond Index (FCDI) dipped by a very modest 0.1 percent during the course of the second quarter of the year, even as the price of pink diamonds continued to rise.

“The recent price declines in the white goods created an overall negative psychological effect on all diamonds,” stated Eden Rachminov, a FCRF board member. “This is probably the reason we also witnessed a decline of 0.1 percent in the Fancy Color Index. Definitely a good time to buy now.”

PINKS RISE BY 0.4 PERCENT IN PRICE DURING Q2

Comparing the second quarter to the corresponding quarter in 2018, pink diamonds showed an upturn of 0.4 percent, in stark contrast to the 0.5 percent decrease that was reported 12 months earlier. 

FCRF provided no specific reason for the better performance of the pink stone category, although it may be speculated that the recent announcement by Rio Tinto that it will be soon closing down in Argyle Mine. More than 90 percent of the pink diamond in the marketplace today are said to have originated at the Western Australian facility.

The Pink category continued to outperform all other categories. All fancy vivid pinks rose by 1.3 percent, with fancy vivid pinks of 2 carats and 3 carats respectively increasing in price by 2.8 percent and 2.6 percent during the second quarter of this year. 

However, reported FCRF, pink diamonds of between 1 carat 1.5 carats showed price decreases of 0.7 percent and 0.2 percent respectively.

BLUE FANCY COLORS OUTPERFORM YELLOWS

The FCRF reports indicated that yellow fancy color diamonds declined in price by an average of 0.8 percent vis-a-vis the 0.2 percent increase in the second quarter of 2018. This was primarily influenced by stone in the 1-carat to 3-carat category, with the sharpest downturn being seen with 1-caraters, which on average fell in price by 2.7 percent. 

Nonetheless, in the 8-carat category, fancy yellow diamond had a surprising upturn, rising by 2.1 percent in price, compared to a 4.8 percent decrease in price during the first quarter of 2019.

Blue diamonds showed a 0.3 percent decrease during the second quarter of 2019, reported FCRF, compared to a 1.5 percent increase in the same quarter in 2018. IN this category the average price was affected mainly by the decline of 0.9 percent in the 8-carat to 10-carat weight category. 

All blue diamonds of in the 1-carat to 3-carat rose in price, with an appreciation of 2.3 percent in the 1.5 carat category, in all color saturations, reported FCRF. The highest rise in price was in the 1.5 carat fancy vivid blue, where an average increase of 4.8 percent was reported.

 

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