De Beers Group today announced that the value of rough diamond sales for the tenth sales cycle of 2018 was US$ 540 million, in line with the general expectations for what is the final cycle of the year.

The figure, which is the provisional combined total of Global Sightholder Sales and Auction Sales as of December 17, 2018, includes all sales from the end of the previous cycle. This year’s figure was higher than the US$ 455 million reported at the last cycle of the previous year.

It was also above the US$ 442 million that the Company reported as the final figure for the 9th cycle of 2018.

Bruce Cleaver, CEO, De Beers Group, said: “De Beers Group’s rough diamond sales during the final cycle of the year continued to be in line with expectation ahead of the all-important retail selling season as cutting and polishing factories in India restarted their operations following the Diwali holiday.”