Diamond Prices Falling?

[LemonMoonLex]

I saw this tonight on the stupid feed my phone gives me that I never asked for!

Diamond price falls mean engagement rings are cheaper thanks to Covid

The world's biggest diamond producers have slashed the cost of rough diamonds by up to 10 per cent after months of low demand due to coronavirus.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Is this true?
Also please someone ping a mod if this isn't the right forum to discuss diamond prices!

What do you think?
Good or bad for diamond owners?
What if it keeps dropping?

 

[flyingpig]

I joined PS in 2015. I have done alot of searching and price comparison on James Allen.
At least on JA, diamond price has fallen 5~10% since 2015.And most of it happened within the last 6 months.

It is great for owners who are planning to upgrade their diamonds.

 

[Big Fat Facets]

this is about the best news ive heard all year!! at last some welcome news for 2020.

 

[pink-fanatic]

Hi, I'm very new to this forum and would like to know if whiteflash prices have dropped? I'm looking to get a tennis bracelet.

 

[Rockdiamond]

The market is in a super unusual place right now.
At the wholesale level, prices have not fallen. I’m fact last week, Rapport raised the prices on the list.
There’s a disruption in supply. So even if demand is less than a year ago, there’s less diamonds to buy... so it kind of equalizes the prices.
Just my experience here in little old NY

 

[kennys_mom]

I’m new to the diamond world, but when I bought my loose D colored stone a few weeks ago, I never imagined that I could have afforded a colorless stone. So yay for lower prices.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

The thing about the diamond market, it's not a monolith. There are many sub-markets within the overall diamond market and they react somewhat differently to external economic events.

For instance, plentiful commercial goods are the first to respond downward to falling demand, and they will fall further than better goods.

As @Rockdiamond points out, while Covid has impacted demand it has also impacted supply, so it is still too early to tell how that seesaw will eventually balance out.

Certainly there is some discounting going on as some jewelers and dealers are selling in-stock goods to pay overheads, without much regard to their bottom line. No doubt that astute shoppers can find some bargains today.

But any merchant that is working in ongoing production will be impacted by the supply disruption, meaning that prices are unlikely to fall and may in fact increase until supply chains are back to normal.

Specialty goods including precision cut diamonds are not likely to decrease in price under the current conditions. We have already been advised by our manufactures to expect shortages and not to anticipate price reductions.

Only time will tell.

 

[Rockdiamond]

To build upon what Bryan wrote:
As an example- SI2 stones are extremely soft.....well, most SI2's. We recently sold a large SI2- and in the middle of working with it, Rappaport raised the price list $500 a carat on that size/color/clarity. The cutter screamed but didn't raise the price. So desirable, eye clean SI2's are strong. If you can see the imperfection? FUGETABOUT IT. There's seemingly no bottom to the price.

In general, I'm finding those stones that have issues have fallen drastically.
Another example would be Yellow diamonds with fluorescence. You can't give them away it seems. Yet a strong color Intense, no blue, is trading pretty much exactly where it was in December 2019.

I'm also finding, like Bryan, if you want something specialized- like a "Super Ideal" or an Internally Flawless Vivid Yellow- or an orange, green or blue diamond, etc...prices are not only not falling- they are strong.

Specialty cutters can not get their hands on rough- and this is just going to get worse as the inequities in this market continue to widen.

 

[Dhana]

I am also wondering about this - recently was looking at a piece of jewellery made with smaller diamonds (.03cts) about total of 1CTW and the Owner had paid close to 1650 for it and now it costs only 1350. Does this mean price has gone down for smaller diamonds in the past few years?
I know diamond as such have poor resale value compared to gold but it still surprised me that the same jewellery costed more a few years ago than it does now.

 

[Rockdiamond]

In my experience, small goods ( diamonds smaller than say, .10cts) are priced exactly where they were in January.
As you pointed out- resale is not a good barometer of actual retail selling prices.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

From Rapaport. The right hand column was all red this time last year

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

This is what has happened on Pricescope

 

[yssie]

To build upon what Bryan wrote:
As an example- SI2 stones are extremely soft.....well, most SI2's. We recently sold a large SI2- and in the middle of working with it, Rappaport raised the price list $500 a carat on that size/color/clarity. The cutter screamed but didn't raise the price. So desirable, eye clean SI2's are strong. If you can see the imperfection? FUGETABOUT IT. There's seemingly no bottom to the price.

In general, I'm finding those stones that have issues have fallen drastically.
Another example would be Yellow diamonds with fluorescence. You can't give them away it seems. Yet a strong color Intense, no blue, is trading pretty much exactly where it was in December 2019.

I'm also finding, like Bryan, if you want something specialized- like a "Super Ideal" or an Internally Flawless Vivid Yellow- or an orange, green or blue diamond, etc...prices are not only not falling- they are strong.

Specialty cutters can not get their hands on rough- and this is just going to get worse as the inequities in this market continue to widen.

This is a fascinating summary - thank you for sharing David!

It echoes things that you’ve been saying for years, but... the effects seem to be heightened now, with COVID.

 

[yssie]

From Rapaport. The right hand column was all red this time last year

I do remember some hullabaloo about suppliers ditching Rap in droves a few months ago - does Rap pricing still/again reflect consumer-facing market reality?

The diamonds that I’ve been watching (5ct+, I/J, VS1+) in various vendors’ inventories have all dropped in price, but none to any significant extent. A few thousand (which on total price in this range is negligible). One anecdote that does not necessarily reflect a trend, I know.

 

[xxxxxx]

I do remember some hullabaloo about suppliers ditching Rap in droves a few months ago - does Rap pricing still/again reflect consumer-facing market reality?

The diamonds that I’ve been watching (5ct+, I/J, VS1+) in various vendors’ inventories have all dropped in price, but none to any significant extent. A few thousand (which on total price in this range is negligible). One anecdote that does not necessarily reflect a trend, I know.

I‘m sorry for going off topic but are you planning an upgrade to your beautiful solitaire? (:

 

[Rockdiamond]

The diamonds that I’ve been watching (5ct+, I/J, VS1+) in various vendors’ inventories have all dropped in price, but none to any significant extent

It's CRUCIAL to understand that you're not actually watching the price of actual diamonds, as much as changes to a database- which may or may not be up to date.....how many times does a consumer pull the trigger to learn that the diamond they just paid for was "just sold" to someone else.....

Funny diamond dealer story...
A store I used to sell loose diamonds to back in the day, asked the price of a stone I was selling -
"30% Back of rap, I answered..."
"Well Joe Shmoe was here last week and he's only charging 40% back of rap!"
"Why didn't you buy the stone" I asked
" He didn't have one- but when he does it will be 40% back of rap."

Easy answer- "When I don't have them, they're 50% back!!"

 

[yssie]

I‘m sorry for going off topic but are you planning an upgrade to your beautiful solitaire? (:

Oh, there are always twinkles in the eyes, LOL

 

[flyingpig]

A well cut TIC/near TIC GIA XXX 1.0 I VS2 with no/faint fluo used to cost minimum $5000 not a while ago.

We are talking mid $4500.

1.06 Carat round diamond

This 1.06 carat round diamond I color vs2 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

1.00 Carat round diamond

This 1 carat round diamond I color vs1 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

2.0 H VS2 used to be 20k.

Now.. $18000 ish.

2.06 Carat round diamond

This 2.06 carat round diamond H color vs2 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

Another popular 3C combo that is popular 0.9c I VS2 which used to be $3800~$4000.

0.91 Carat round diamond

This 0.91 carat round diamond I color vs2 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

A well cut TIC/near TIC GIA XXX 1.0 I VS2 with no/faint fluo used to cost minimum $5000 not a while ago.

We are talking mid $4500.

1.06 Carat round diamond

This 1.06 carat round diamond I color vs2 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

1.00 Carat round diamond

This 1 carat round diamond I color vs1 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

2.0 H VS2 used to be 20k.

Now.. $18000 ish.

2.06 Carat round diamond

This 2.06 carat round diamond H color vs2 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

Another popular 3C combo that is popular 0.9c I VS2 which used to be $3800~$4000.

0.91 Carat round diamond

This 0.91 carat round diamond I color vs2 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

Are these identical diamonds? or similar diamonds FP?
If they are identical I know many manufacturers drop prices by up to 1% a week to keep the money rolling in.

 

[free-user]

I purchased a 1.6 si2 h color true heart for under 9k before tax. I think its low priced for the stats and reflects this price fall. IMO.

 

[flyingpig]

Are these identical diamonds? or similar diamonds FP?
If they are identical I know many manufacturers drop prices by up to 1% a week to keep the money rolling in.

These are similar diamonds ("PS quality" you know..TIC, GIA X, AGS0 potential, HCA less than 2.0, no detrimental leakage, or wonky pavilion).

It is not just about the fallen price. There are more good options and finding a quality diamond is signicanly easier. Between 2017 and 2019, I nearly gave up finding good stones for others from JA/BN. Now, I am having fun.