(diamonds.net) - There were many factors behind the rough-diamond price hikes De Beers reportedly implemented this week. So much so that the move hardly surprised the market, even if it dominated discussions in trading and cutting centers and on online forums. Sightholders were a little taken aback by the extent of the increases — an estimated 5% to 12% for 3-grainer and larger goods, and up to 15% for smaller rough. They weren’t expecting such a bold move by the mining company. But on the whole, higher rough prices were anticipated, as noted by this column last week (“The Pressure Is On”). There, we observed that December through February is generally a busy period for the sector. And since De Beers and Alrosa registered relatively low sales in December, there was some pent-up demand that would be released this month, making it an opportune time to raise prices. However, seasonality plays only a minor role in influencing market trends. Pricing should rather reflect the balance between supply and demand or indicate that the two are out of sync.
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