A mixed response to the holiday season in the wholesale sector of the diamond pipeline. After traders reported in November that the season jumpstarted trading, in December U.S. and Israeli traders are reporting decent trading while in Mumbai, Antwerp and Hong Kong their colleagues spoke of lower than expected demand.

 

Prices remained depressed throughout the holiday season, contrary to past trends, raising concerns that in January retailers' re-stocking will be limited.

 

U.S.

As the holiday season is well underway, retailers have been preparing orders for the month, and are now fully stocked. Meanwhile, wholesalers seem to be on a hold mode as they wait for holiday sales to determine if they need to replenish supplies after the New Year.

 

In the week before the holiday break, there has been a good demand for rounds 0.90 to 2.00 carats in all colors in the SI1 and SI2 clarities. 3.00 carats are moving well in VS and SI qualities.

 

Fancy shapes are moving across the board with strong demands primarily reported for cushion and princess cuts.

 

Traders and manufacturers are hopeful that this season will be a good one, expressing confident optimism.

 

 0.05-0.15 cts, D-J / I, slow

 

0.05-0.15 cts, D-J / SI+, selling

 

0.15-0.75 cts, D-J / SI, selling

 

 1/5-3/4, D-J / pique, mediocre demand

 

1/5-3/4, D-J / VS+, selling

 

0.90-1.50 cts, D-J / SI+, selling

 

1.00-2.00 cts, D-M / pique, selling

 

1.00-2.00 cts, F-J / SI+, selling

 

1.50-3.00 cts, D-M / VS+, selling

 

   2.00-4.00 cts D-K / SI+, mediocre demand

 

4.00+ cts D-J/ pique, selling

 

Fancy Cuts

All fancy cuts, 0.10-0.99 cts, SI+, slow

 

Pears, 0.10-0.40 cts, D-J / I+, selling

 

Pears and Ovals, 0.20-1.00 cts, H+ / VS+, slow

 

 

Antwerp

The pick up in trade continued in December, thanks to holiday season orders. However, traders were not happy with the level of orders. These mediocre demands prevented a rise in polished prices. Antwerp's traders remain cautious, sticking to buying very specific goods they could sell easily.

 

Bigger sizes, mainly 4+ carats across the board, were notably slow.

 

Rounds

0.005-0.15 cts, F-J / pique, slow

 

0.005-0.15 cts, F-J / SI+, slow

 

   1/5, D-J / VS+, mediocre demand

 

   0.25-0.90 cts, white / pique, mediocre demand

 

0.25-0.90 cts, F-K / SI+, good makes, slow

 

   1.00-3.00 cts, white / pique, including goods for treatment, mediocre demand

 

1.00-3.00 cts, F-J / SI1+, good makes, slow

 

   1.00+ cts, Fancy colors, mediocre demand

 

1.00-5.00 cts, D/ IF, slow

 

4.00+ cts, G-J / VS+, slow

 

5.00+ cts, G-J / SI1+, slow

 

Fancy Cuts

Princesses, Pears and Emeralds, 1.00+ cts, D-K / SI+, slow

 

Marquises, Radiants, Ovals, and Hearts, 1.00+ cts, G-K / SI+, slow

 

   Tapers and Baguettes, 1/10-1/6, D-I / SI+, mediocre demand

 

 

Mumbai

The Indian diamond market is negatively affected by the fast and frequent fluctuations in the U.S. dollar/Indian rupee exchange rate, leading to a volatile trading market.

 

Traders are mainly hurt in two places. When selling locally in rupees goods that were bought in dollars outside of India and in manufacturing – where labor costs are in rupees but sales abroad are in dollars.

 

The new UBM show in Mumbai did not generate active business for diamond wholesalers.

 

Rounds

-0.01 cts, top colors / VS-SI & white natts, selling

 

-0.02 cts, top colors / VVS-SI & white natts, selling

 

0.005-0.15 cts, F-J / SI+, selling

 

0.03-0.07 cts, top colors / VS-SI, selling

 

   1/5, H-J / VS, mediocre demand

 

1/4-3/8, white / pique, selling

 

1/4-3/4, D-J / SI+, good makes, selling

 

1/2-3/4, white / pique, including goods for treatment, selling

 

   0.80-1.99 cts, F-M / VVS to SI, mediocre demand

 

   1.00-3.00 cts, D-K / SI to pique, mediocre demand

 

 2.00-3.00 cts, H-K / SI1+, good makes, slow

 

 4.00+ cts, H-M / VS+, slow

 

   5.00+ cts, H-M / VS+, mediocre demand

 

Fancy Cuts

 Emeralds and Stabbes (wide baguettes), 0.25-1.00 cts, D-J / VS+, slow

 

Marquises and Hearts, 0.25-3.00 cts, F-J / VS+, slow

 

 Princesses, Pears and Emeralds, 2.00-10.00 cts, I-L / VS, slow

 

 

Ramat Gan

The Israeli diamond exchange continued to show decent trading levels, despite the relative weakness experienced in other diamond trading centers. Many overseas buyers visited the market, however they did not buy much because of the high asking prices. This did not cause Israeli traders to reduce prices.

 

Rounds

   0.005-0.15 cts, D-J / pique, mediocre demand

 

0.005-0.15 cts, D-J / VS+, slow

 

   1/5, G-K / SI+, mediocre demand

 

0.25-0.90 cts, white / pique, selling

 

0.25-0.90 cts, D-K / SI+, good makes, selling

 

   1.00-3.00 cts, white / pique, including goods for treatment, mediocre demand

 

1.00-3.00 cts, G-K / SI+, good makes, a pickup in demand

 

1.00-5.00+ cts, D / IF, slow

 

4.00 cts, G-L / VS+, slow

 

Fancy Cuts

Princesses, Pears and Emeralds, 1.00-10.00 cts, G-L / SI+, slow

 

 Ovals, Asschers and Hearts, 1.00-5.00 cts, G-J / SI+, slow 

 

 Marquises, Radiants and Cushions, 1.00-10.00 cts, G-J / SI+, slow

All fancy cuts, 1.00-5.00 cts, fancy colors, slow

 

 

Hong Kong

Business in the Hong Kong diamond market did not meet traders' expectations in December. Prices did not recover even though demand is at its seasonal peak. Retailer buyers are interested only in goods for which they have orders, and are not buying to simply replenish their stock. Further, traders are concerned that in January business will be especially low.

 

Rounds
0.005-0.15 cts, white / SI2 to pique, selling

 

0.005-0.15 cts, D-J / SI1+, good makes, selling

 

   1/5, G-J / VS+, mediocre demand

 

0.25-0.90 cts, white / pique, selling

 

0.25-0.90 cts, H-J / SI+, selling

 

1.00-10.00 cts, D-J / pique, slow

 

   1.00-3.00 cts, H-M / VVS-SI, mediocre demand

 

1.00-5.00 cts, D / IF, slow

 

4.00 cts, H-L / SI+, slow

 

5.00-10.00+ cts, H-L / VS+, slow

 

Fancy Cuts

   Princesses and Emeralds, 1/10-1/3, H-K / SI+, mediocre demand

 

 Princesses, Pears and Emeralds, 1.00-10.00 cts, H-K / SI+, slow

 

   Marquises, Ovals and Hearts, 1.00-5.00 cts, H-K / SI+, mediocre demand

 

Tapers and Baguettes, 1/10-1/2, H-J / VS+, slow