Dealers preparing for Las Vegas shows concerned
that US orders have slowed as retailers reduce their inventory requirements. Chinese
demand continues to improve. Rough trade strong with rising premiums on
secondary market as De Beers limits supply at May sight. Stornoway 1Q sales of
$36M ($77/ct.). Mountain Province 1Q sales $38M as Gahcho Kué average price ($72/ct.)
disappoints. Hong Kong 1Q polished imports +11% to $4.7B, exports +6% to $3.4B.
Israel 1Q polished exports +15% to $1.7B, rough imports +4% to $785M. Belgium
April polished exports -13% to $779M, rough imports -43% to $694M. Antwerp’s
Carat+ show demonstrates appetite for high-end, diamond-focused trade event.
Fancies: Steady demand for Pears in the Far East, with Ovals overtaking
Pears as the strongest shape in the US. Shortages of fine-quality large Pears
and Ovals. Cushions stable. Emeralds selling better than Princesses. Some
demand for big fancy shapes, but buyers extremely picky. Improving demand for
Radiant, 3.01 to 9.99 ct., D-I, SI1-SI2 elongated stones. Large price
differentials between excellent- and average-cut fancies. Off-make, poorly cut
fancies illiquid and very hard to sell, even at very deep discounts.
United States: Positive mood among large-stone dealers.Good demand for 5
ct., G-H, VS1-SI2 diamonds. VVS weak, but improvement seen in D, flawless among
big stones. Steady demand for bread-and-butter 1 ct., G-H, VS-SI diamonds for
the engagement ring market. Stable Mother’s Day jewelry retail sales.
Belgium: Sentiment improved during upbeat Antwerp Carat+ show. More
independent European jewelers looking to source via programs. Steady demand for
dossiers, 0.30 to 1 ct., G-I, VS1-SI1 and GIA-certified 1 ct.-plus, G-H, VS-SI
diamonds. Dealers seeing better prices and profit from polished sourced in
secondary market than direct supply from manufacturers. Rough trading strong.
Israel: Polished trading stable, with rising expectations for Las Vegas
shows. US cautious as demand for I1 goods has softened. China working well. Good
demand for 0.30 ct., D-J, VVS-SI diamonds and steady demand for 1 ct., I-K, SI
goods. Bourse expanding partnerships with online retail platforms.
India: Market relatively
slow, with pockets of good demand for select categories such as 0.50 to 0.90
ct., SIs. Some dealers on vacation during May school holiday period. Foreign
buyers looking for stock ahead of Las Vegas, while suppliers keeping prices
steady before the show. Polished inventory levels rising as large manufacturers
boost production. Strong rough demand continues.
Hong Kong: Wholesale market stable, with many dealers still on vacation.
Positive sentiment due to improvement in Chinese retail, but consumers shifting
to lower price points. Steady dealer demand for 0.50 to 1 ct., D-H, VS-SI
diamonds. Rising consumer interest in color diamonds and gemstones, especially
sizes above 2 ct. Major jewelers exploring growth potential on e-commerce and
mobile platforms.
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