Prices of yellow diamonds decreased in the third quarter, driving down the overall fancy- color index even while pinks and blues remained steady, the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) said.
The index for yellows fell 1.5% quarter on quarter for the three months ending September 30, and 4.9% year on year, according to the FCRF, which released its quarterly Fancy Color Diamond Index (FCDI) Wednesday.
By contrast, prices of blue fancy-color diamonds inched up 0.1% compared with the second quarter, and 0.5% versus the same period a year ago, while pinks slipped 0.1% quarter on quarter and increased 0.9% from the 2018 period.
The strongest decrease in the yellow category was in the 3-carat fancy-vivid division, which slid 3.5% from the previous quarter, while 8-carat fancy-vivid yellows fell 10%. The only yellow category that showed no decrease was fancy-intense yellows weighing 2 carats, FCRF noted.
“The civil unrest in Hong Kong has had a negative impact on the entire luxury market, including diamonds and jewelry,” said FCRF advisory board member Ephraim Zion. “Having said that, I’m not surprised that Fancy Color Diamonds have been more resilient and managed much better than their counterparts.”
The index tacks prices of yellow, pink and blue fancy-color diamonds in Hong Kong, New York and Tel Aviv.
