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Certified Diamond Prices Decline 5.4% in July
Rapaport Research Report Signals Tough Opportunities in the Diamond Market
Aug 2, 2012 8:00 AM
By Rapaport
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RAPAPORT... PRESS RELEASE, August 2 2012, New York: Certified polished diamond prices fell in July as trading continued to slow amid weak economic sentiment. Far East buyers have grown cautious and Indian suppliers are under pressure where liquidity remains tight. Buyers are avoiding large purchases while suppliers are adjusting to lower prices. Rough inventories are rising as polished trading volume declined and sightholders are refusing to buy high-priced De Beers rough diamonds.
In July, the RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI™) for 1 ct. certified diamonds fell 5.4 percent. The RAPI for 0.3 ct. stones declined by 4.9 percent and the RAPI for 0.5 ct. diamonds dropped 5.3 percent. RAPI for 3 ct. diamonds fell 5.1 percent during the month.
During the first seven months of 2012, RAPI for 1 ct. diamonds fell 8.8 percent with the steepest declines occurring since May. RAPI for 1 ct. diamonds is down 18.3 percent from one year ago.
Copyright © 2012 by Martin Rapaport
According to the just released Rapaport Research Report, “Tough Opportunities,” diamond markets were quieter than usual in July. Demand in the United States remains stable, while Far East retailers have noted caution among Chinese consumers as economic growth has slowed. Polished dealer trading slackened ahead of the summer vacations in Belgium and Israel, and as India’s weak domestic market has curbed activity there. Depreciating currencies against the U.S. dollar, including the Indian rupee, euro and Israeli shekel, is raising operating expenses and adding uncertainty to diamond trading.
Rough markets are under pressure with prices softening. Trading of high-priced De Beers and ALROSA goods on the secondary market has slumped as sightholders are losing money.
Cautious trading is expected to continue through the remainder of 2012. Polished inventories are sufficient to see through the summer as buying remains custom-based for specific orders. Expectations are low for the Mumbai show in August and the Hong Kong September show.
“Lower prices are healthy and necessary for the diamond market as they allow trading to adjust to lower levels of demand. The diamond trade makes money by selling diamonds, not by holding them. Dealers must learn how to make profit when prices go down by selling and replacing inventory at lower prices. The value of inventory is its replacement cost,” said Martin Rapaport, Chairman of the Rapaport Group.
Additional information about the state of the global diamond market is available in the just-released Rapaport Research Report, “Tough Opportunities”, which can be found at www.diamonds.net/reports or by emailing: specialreports@diamonds.net.
Rapaport Media Contacts: media@diamonds.net
International: Shira Topiol +1-702-425-9088 <> U.S.: Sherri Hendricks +1-702-893-9400 <> Mumbai: Mittal Kalsy +1-91-97699-30069 <>
About the Rapaport - RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI): The RAPI is based on the average asking price in hundred $/ct. for the top 25 quality 1 ct. round diamonds (D-H, IF-VS2, RapSpec-2 and better) with GIA grading reports offered for sale on RapNet – Rapaport Diamond Trading Network. The RAPI is provided for various sizes. www.RAPNET.com has daily listings of over 950,000 diamonds valued over US$6 billion and 7300 members in over 80 countries.
About the Rapaport Group: The Rapaport Group is an international network of companies providing added value services that support the development of free, fair and competitive global diamond markets. Established in 1978, the Rapaport Diamond Report is the primary source of diamond prices and market information. Group activities include publishing, research and marketing services, internet information and diamond trading networks, global rough and polished diamond tenders, diamond certification, quality- control, compliance, shipping, and financial services. Major activities of the group include the development of markets for Fair Trade Diamonds and Jewelry as well as the creation of diamond futures markets. Additional information is available at www.Rapaport.com.
Martin Rapaport (Publisher) grants limited permission to use copyrighted data appearing in this press release in and in conjunction with journalistic copy, reporting or articles concerning diamond pricing and information in graph or data presentation format only. The following credit notice must appear alongside, underneath, or in close proximity to any use of the copyrighted data: “Used with permission of Rapaport USA, Inc. Copyright © Martin Rapaport. All rights reserved.”
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Tags:
De Beers, Diamond prices, diamonds, Polished Diamonds, Rapaport, RAPI, RapNet, RapNet Diamond Index
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