The Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) reported that in Q4 2018 fancy color diamond prices showed stability across all sizes and saturation.
The Fancy Color Diamond Index (FCDI) indicates that in Q4 prices of blue fancy color diamonds increased by 0.8 %, and fancy intense blues increased by 1.9%. Pink diamond prices remained stable, while 2 carat pink diamonds carat category rose by 1.1%, led by fancy vivid pink that rose by 2.1% and 10 carat fancy pink decreased by 0.8%. In the same period, yellow fancy color diamonds showed a general decrease by 1.5%, with an increase by 1.2% in fancy vivid yellow 5 carat category, the FCRF reported.
On a yearly basis, in 2018 the Fancy Color Diamond Index increased by 0.2%, with blue prices up by 4.1% (1 to 1.5 carat up by 9.1%), yellow prices down by 2.1% (fancy yellow decreased by 3.9%) and pink prices remained stable. In 2018, all fancy intense and fancy vivid diamonds increased by 0.7% and 1.5%, respectively, while the ‘fancy’ category decreased by 1.4%.
Jim Pounds, FCRF Advisory Board member, said: “In the last three years we witnessed a substantial amount of vivid yellows coming to market, mainly from the ‘Misery’ Pipe at the Ekati mine in Canada. However as the mine transitions from open pit mining to underground, a substantially reduced amount of stones will be available during 2019. Therefore we anticipate a slight increase in vivid yellow prices.”
