There was no significant change in the overall prices of fancy colour diamonds during the third quarter of 2018 as compared to the earlier quarter, with the Fancy Color Diamond Index inching up by a marginal 0.1%, the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) said.

While there was a 1.0% drop in prices of yellow fancy colour diamonds, the prices of fancy colour blue and pink diamonds rose by 0.7% and 0.4% respectively in all sizes and saturation levels quarter-to-quarter, FCRF reported.

On a year-to-year basis, when compared to Q3 2017, the Fancy Color Diamond Index increased by 0.4%, with blue prices up 5.9% and yellow and pink prices down by 1.6% and 0.5%, respectively.

The best performers continued to be fancy vivid blue diamonds, which rose 8.5% in the past 12 months and 1.1% in Q3 2018.

 FCRF stated that in the 1 carat category, the differences in price trends are more distinctive; pink diamonds remain stable, blue diamonds increased by 4.7%, yellow diamonds decreased by 2.2%, while intense yellow 1 carat diamond prices increased by 1.1%.

FCRF Advisory Board member Eden Rachminov said, “In my opinion, the price of fancy yellow is influenced by the general mood of many diamond traders that carry a mixed inventory of colourless and yellows. Due to the slowdown in the colourless business and to compensate in their general turnover, these traders slightly lower the prices of yellows.”

The Fancy Color Diamond Index tracks pricing data for yellow, pink, and blue fancy colour diamonds in three key global trading centers – Hong Kong, New York, and Tel Aviv.

Pic caption: Pink diamond prices rose marginally

Pic courtesy: Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF)