The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) has published its 2024 trends report, indicating a shift towards larger stones featured in natural diamond jewellery.
“There was a significant increase in demand for the 2 to- 2.24 carat range in 2024. Sales for that category grew 18% and accounted for 10% of the market,” NDC analysts said.
“The most popular centre stones were between 1 to 1.04 carat, with 15% share, although demand for that category fell 8% during the year.”
Meanwhile, round diamonds remain the mainstay of the market, accounting for 82% of the centre stones used in natural diamond jewellery in 2024, followed by oval shapes.
In 2024, there was a shift toward better clarity diamonds. While SI-clarity has been the staple of the US market for decades, and still accounts for over half of all purchases, more consumers are now opting for VS-clarity stones.
As for diamond jewellery, rings remained most popular, accounting for 40% of natural diamond jewellery sales volume in 2024, followed by earrings. The average price of wedding sets increased 31% in 2024. The increase was mainly due to a rise in the average size of diamonds and a notable change in the type of metal used.
Theodor Lisovoy, Managing Editor, Rough&Polished
