In Q3 2024, the overall Fancy Color Diamond Index across all colors and sizes saw a marginal decline of 0.5%, a slight improvement compared to the previous quarter’s decrease of 0.6%, according to the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FDRF).
The year-over-year trend reflects a cumulative decrease of 1.0%, and suggests a stable market with minor fluctuations. While the index remained relatively unchanged, it highlights the continued resilience of the fancy color diamond market despite some downward trends, said the FCRF, which tracks the prices of fancy colored diamonds.
Diamonds seeing the most notable rises in 3rd quarter included 3ct and 8ct pink fancy vivid stones, with rises of 2.1% and 1.7%, respectively.
Meanwhile, the diamond categories seeing the most significant decreases were 1ct yellow fancy intense diamonds, which fell by 3.8%.
Indeed, yellow diamonds showed a continued trend of slight declines in the 3rd quarter, with a fall of 1.6%, only slightly better than the 1.7% decline registered in the previous quarter.
As a result, the annual performance for yellow diamonds is a decrease of 3.5%, showing continuing softness in the yellow diamond market. The most notable decline was seen in fancy intense yellow 1 ct diamonds, which dropped by 3.8%.
The FCRF said the drop within this particular segment likely impacted the overall performance of yellow diamonds in the quarter. In contrast, some segments performed slightly better. fancy vivid yellow 1ct diamonds showed a modest increase, highlighting stronger demand for higher-intensity diamonds.
Meanwhile, in the pink diamond category, there was stability with a marginal decline overall of 0.1% in Q3 of 2024, a slight improvement from the 0.2% decrease recorded in the previous quarter.
Over the past 12 months, pink diamonds have shown resilience, with 0% change. Within this quarter, individual subcategories of varied fancy vivid pink diamonds saw strong gains, with the 3ct category increasing by 2.1% and the 1ct category up by 1.6%. fancy vivid pink diamonds of 10ct also showed positive growth, increasing by 1.32%.
In contrast, fancy intense pink diamonds of 1.5ct and 1ct experienced a notable drop of 3.1% and 0.4% respectively. Other segments, such as diamonds of 2ct, saw smaller movements, with a slight drop of 0.3%. Despite these mixed performances, vivid pink diamonds in larger sizes demonstrated resilience, helping to stabilize the overall pink diamond category.
In Q3 2024, the blue diamond category experienced a decline of 0.7%, a more significant drop compared to the 0.3% decrease in the previous quarter. Over the past 12 months, blue diamonds have seen a cumulative decrease of 1.7%. Despite this overall downward trend, the blue diamond market displayed mixed results across different subcategories, with both increases and decreases depending on the size and intensity.
Among the increases, blue diamonds of 8ct showed stability with a slight improvement of 0.1%. Additionally, fancy vivid blue diamonds of 8 ct showed stability as well, with an increase of 0.2%. On the other hand, many segments saw declines. Fancy intense blue diamonds of 5ct fell by 2.2%, making it the most significant drop in this category. Other notable declines include fancy vivid diamonds of 1.5ct, which dropped by 2.0%, and Fancy diamonds of 1ct, which fell by 1.1%. “Overall, we see a general decline in the blue diamond market, with specific categories showing stability or slight increases,” the FCRF commented.
FCRF Data Supplier Oz Mashiach said: “Despite some declines this quarter, the fancy color diamond market is showing resilience. The slight decreases, especially in yellow diamonds, reflect broader economic uncertainties, yet the overall stability suggests steady demand. It’s encouraging to see that categories like vivid pinks continue to perform well, even in a challenging economic climate”.
The Fancy Color Diamond Index is published by the non-profit Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF), tracking pricing data for yellow, pink, and blue fancy color diamonds in the major global trading centers – Hong Kong, New York, Geneva, and Tel Aviv.
Abraham Dayan for Rough&Polished from Tel Aviv
