The IDEX Online Polished Price Report for October 4, 2012

(IDEX Online News) – With many traders away from their offices due to Jewish holidays and many Chinese buyers away celebrating the National Day vacation, business in the global wholesale polished sector was lethargic.

While this slowed the declines in round polished prices, it did not prevent lively trade in Fancy cuts, which continue to thrive in the +0.80 carat size group.

Following are some of the changes in this week's IDEX Online Diamond Price Report.

To receive a free copy of the full IDEX Online Diamond Price Report, please email us at prices@idexonline.com.

Rounds

• 0.18-0.22 cts unchanged
• 0.23-0.29 cts DE / SI2 declining
• 0.30-0.39 cts F color goods are weak
• O.40-0.44 cts I / SI2-3 down by ~3.4%,  N / VVS2 gained 3.9% to $1,350 per carat (p/c)
• 0.45-0.49 cts mixed trends, well worth bargaining
• 0.70-0.79 cts declines narrowing to E-I / SI3-I3
• 0.80-0.89 cts K colors lost favor this week
• 0.90-0.99 cts steadying, although a few price declines seen
• 1.00-1.24 cts mid-clarity DEF goods stable after last week's declines. Lower colors are showing a couple of weak points
• 1.25-1.49 cts goods keep suffering. Traders lowered asking prices on many items, mainly H-N goods
• 1.50-1.99 cts G-I / I1 losing ground
• 2 cts starting to soften, price declines are concentrated around L color goods
• 3 cts G / VVS1 down 2.9% to $36,500 p/c
• 4 cts GHI / I1 keep sliding, down 2.5%-2.9% this week
• 5 cts I / VS2 down 3.2% to $27,600 p/c

Fancy Cuts

• Another week of steady prices for 0.18-0.22 cts goods
• 0.23-0.29, no price changes
• 0.30-0.39 cts unchanged
• 0.40-0.44 cts I / IF  up 2.8% to $1,850 p/c, I / VVS1 down 2.9% to $1,700 p/c
• 0.45-0.49 cts unchanged
• 0.50-0.69 cts H pique goods keep slipping, F / SI1 up 2.4% to $2,150 p/c, K / I1 up 5.6% to $9,500
• 0.70-0.79 cts remain in demand, specifically better colors in the mid-clarity ranges up ~3% and pique +3-4%
• Yet another week of wide price increases among the 0.80-0.89 cts size goods, especially KLM and VSI1 goods
• 0.90-0.99 cts goods in demand with many price increases
• 1.00-1.24 cts steady, J / I1 down 4.2% to $2,300
• 1.25-1.49 cts prices increase in IF and SI goods, while traders lower asking prices of I-L / I1 again this week
• 2 cts goods are in continued demand, especially mid-clarity I color goods. At the same time, traders are decreasing prices of a few select items
• 3 cts D / VVS2 softening, I / IF-VVS2 up 2.9% for the second week in a row
• 4 cts few changes
• 5 cts I / VS1, J / VS2 softening