The IDEX Online Polished Price Report - April 2019
April 30, 19
(IDEX Online News) - Looking back at the previous months, there still was some movement - going up up here and dropping down there - in prices of diamonds under two carats. But in April, it seems the market simply had taken a step back and the sporadic price changes that occurred in rounds under two carats were mixed at best. Market commentators, however, like to point out that April is the year's slowest month, and that, therefore, few price changes and market movement in April would make sense. But if in March, the rounds market was characterized as "in waiting," in April the market was plainly apathetic and anemic.
Rounds
The sporadic price changes that registered for goods under 0.40 ct. were predominantly negative. There were a few price increases in the 0.40-0.45 carat category, especially in lower colors and mid-range clarities. Some goods in lower colors, K-N, in the 0.45 to 0.49-carat category, rose a few percentages, as did some goods in the 0.70 to 0.90-carat ranges in better colors and clarities. Any other changes were not only sporadic but also erratic, giving no indication of a developing trend. Prices in some high color goods above one carat dropped a few percent in the 1.00-1.24 carat range - an important diamond trading niche and indicator - while goods in the top colors lost some value, in particular in the better clarity ranges.
In goods above two carats, we saw some goods in high colors, but low clarities drop up to five percent, but in commercial colors but higher clarities they rose some three percent on average. The slightly better news keeps coming from goods above three carats as high colors and top clarity goods keep rising gradually, albeit with few percentages, from month to month. On the other hand, some lower colors are underperforming.
Fancies
Are current prices paid for small diamond rough "freezing" the price development of polished, smaller sized goods, including fancies? Similar to rounds, prices of small fancies, under 0.40 ct. remained mostly unchanged. The 0.40-0.50 cts range saw some categories in top colors but low clarities drop up to four percent. In the next category, 0.50-0.70 commercial goods improved somewhat, only to see prices drop in the next size category. The term 'erratic' again comes to mind, as there seems to be no discernible trend or pattern in supply and demand.
Different from rounds, however, in size categories above 0.80 carat, up to five carats, prices of high colors and high clarities were on the rise in April. Here the trend seems somewhat more defined: fancy goods in high colors and clarities did better in April. Still, taking in account the few changes registered in these categories, too, diamond trading remained subdued, as is typical for this time of the year. In the largest size categories reported, fancies of lower colors and lower clarities suffered some significant set-backs.
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Rounds
- 0.18-0.22 ct. no changes
- 0.23-0.29 ct. F / VVS2, +2.5%, I-K / VS1-SI2 -4-5%
- 0.30-0.39 ct. H / SI2, +3.5%
- 0.40-0.44 ct. G / SI1 +2.5%
- 0.45-0.49 ct. K-N / VS2 +3-4%
- 0.50-0.69 ct. E / SI1 -1.5%
- 0.70-0.79 ct. H-I, VVS1, -1 to -2.5%
- 0.80-0.89 ct. H / I3 +5%
- 0.90-0.99 ct. F / I2 -4.5%
- 1.00-1.24 ct. D-E / VS1-SI2 -2 to -3.5%
- 1.25-1.49 ct. -G / SI2 -3.0%
- 1.50-1.99 ct. D/ SI2 -3.5%,
- 2.00-2.99 ct. D / SI2-I3 -2.5% to -4.5%
- 3-3.99 ct. F / IF-VVS2 +3%
- 4 ct. H / VS2-SI2 +1.5%-6%
- 5 ct. L-N / SI1 +3.5%
Fancy Cuts
- 0.18-0.22 no changes
- 0.23-0.29 ct. H / VVS2 +4%
- 0.30-0.39 ct. D / VS2-SI1 -2-3%
- 0.40-0.44 ct. D-E / VVS1-SI1 -3%
- 0.45-0.49 ct. H-K / SI1 -3.5%
- 0.50-0.69 ct. G-I / VVS2 +1.5 to +3.5%
- 0.70-0.79 ct. E-F/ VVS1-VS1 -3.0% D-E / SI3-I1 -3 to -3.5%
- 0.80-0.89 ct. D-E-/IF- VS1 +2 to +3%, H-I / IF-VS1 -2 to -3.5%
- 0.90-0.99 ct. G-I / VS1 +3 to +3.5%,
- 1.00-1.24 ct. G / IF +3 to +3.5%
- 1.25-1.49 ct. D / VS1 +3%