New York: According to data collected and analyzed by the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF), fancy color diamond prices edged up in the period between April and June 2016, after a relatively soft first quarter. Overall, price performance during Q2 was broadly in line with long-term trends in which continued demand-driven price increases for pink and blue fancy color diamonds are partially offset by continued price declines for lower-cost, commercial yellow fancy color diamonds.
Blue and pink fancy color diamonds saw a 1.1% and 0.7% price increase, respectively, in the second quarter. Yellow fancy color diamonds saw price declines of 0.5%, less than during the first quarter. Overall, prices in the fancy color diamond category rose by 0.4% for the period. In sharp contrast, according to RAPI¢â, white diamond prices declined across the board during Q2 2016, declining between 0.7-5.6% with the 3-carat category again being the worst performer.
| Category | Q2/16 vs. Q1/16 | Q2/16 vs. Q2/15 |
| All fancy color diamonds | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| All fancy yellow diamonds | (0.5%) | (3.5%) |
| All fancy pink diamonds | 0.7% | 1.7% |
| All fancy blue diamonds | 1.1% | 4.1% |
In terms of specific color and size categories, the strongest performers during Q2 2016 were fancy intense and vivid blues and fancy vivid pinks across all carat sizes. Most notably, the fancy vivid blue category saw an 8.6% price leap during the period, driven by the 1ct and 5ct size brackets. In contrast, the fancy yellow grade category declined by 3.7%, mainly driven by sluggish demand for the 3ct and 5ct sizes.
On an annual basis, when compared to Q2 2015, the Fancy Color Diamond Index was up 0.5%, with blue and pink fancy color diamonds up 4.1% and 1.7%, respectively, and fancy yellow diamonds down 3.5%. FCRF members are able to access interactive charts and a complete data analysis at www.fcresearch.org.
The Fancy Color Diamond Index is calculated based on live pricing inputs from a large sample of the world¡¯s leading traders of fancy color diamonds in Asia, the United States and the Middle East. The Index is published by the non-profit Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF), and tracks pricing data for yellow, pink and blue fancy color diamonds.
FCRF Advisory Board chairman Eden Rachminov commented, °Unsurprisingly, fancy intense and fancy vivid color diamonds of all colors enjoy robust demand in the market, driven mainly by supply scarcity that is not likely to change in the foreseeable future. The situation is different with commercial fancy yellow goods, which is being adversely affected by sluggish U.S. demand.”
