Retail diamond prices declined in April following slight increases in March. Retail diamond price changes are based on Pricescope’s database of over 450,000 diamonds from retail stores. According to Rapaport, demand for certified polished diamonds softened, as retailers’ diamond-buying slowed after inventory replenishment during the first quarter of 2014. Read more about diamond price changes below.
Diamond markets slowed in April although sentiment remained positive. Demand softened as jewelers reduced their buying after replenishing their inventory during the first quarter.
The IDEX Online Polished Diamond Index increased in April to 134.2 from 132.9 in March. In round items, all sizes from 0.5 carats to 2.0 carats rose in price.
Blue Nile executives said rising diamond prices are giving its customers sticker shock, and they complained that ongoing price volatility is hurting their business.
De Beers plans to raise diamond prices 5 percent every year, betting demand will help the world’s biggest miner of the precious stones meet parent Anglo American Plc’s target for returns.
Columnists sometimes do the strangest things, like writing a column about something they know very little, and sometimes nothing, about, tossing some figures to give credence to their writings, and in the process causing damage. One such column appeared a couple of weeks ago in the New York Times titled “When Diamonds Are Dirt Cheap, Will They Still Dazzle?”
This past winter, one of my esteemed industry colleagues included a saying in one of his blogs that I had never heard before: If you really want to be wary of the mass media, read an article on a topic about which you are particularly well informed.