Japan Increases Polished Diamond Imports ahead of Holiday Season

The decline in Japan’s polished diamond imports continued in September. Japan imported 170,437 carats of polished diamonds with a stated value of $55.87 million, an average value of $327.82 per carat. Imports by Japan traditionally pickup in September and October and decline in November-December.

Year-over-year, imports declined 6.7 percent in value and 8.5 percent in volume. The average per-carat price inched up 1.9 percent from September 2008, indicating that price points for Japanese consumers are steady.

Month-over-month, imports increased by 53.4 percent in value and 23 percent by volume compared to August.

In the first nine months of 2009, Japan imported $457 million worth of polished, at an average value of $280.68 p/c. The data was supplied by The J Club, Inc.

Source: The J Club, Inc.