DiamondBuzz

De Beers Sightholders report shortages of large diamonds

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2025

Rough diamonds above 5 carats were in tight supply at this week’s sight, customers reported, with explanations ranging from production cuts to ’ strategy of withholding supply. The February trading session saw stable prices in the vast majority of categories, as the miner maintained its policy of not flooding the market, insiders said this week.

The lack of large stones has puzzled some, since De Beers is reportedly sitting on $2 billion of inventories, its largest since the 2008 financial crisis. Many market insiders viewed it as a positive that these sizes were hard to find, reflecting that the categories had sold better in the past few sights. The resultant polished — mostly 2 carats and larger — has performed better in the recent downturn than 0.30- to 2 carat goods.

Some point to a tactical effort by De Beers to limit supply — either to protect the market or to reward sightholders that purchase less sought-after items.

SOURCE: RAPAPORT

Related Topics:2025 De Beers diamondbuzz internationalnews

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DiamondBuzz

Rising Inventory Putting Fresh Pressure On Polished Diamond Prices

Indian Manufacturers Are Shuttering Factories For Up To A Month For Diwali, Dampening Rough Demand and Dragging Down De Beers’ October Sight Sales.

Published

9 hours ago

November 5, 2026

JewelBuzz Spread The Buzz

Rising inventory is putting fresh pressure on polished diamond prices following a strong mid-year recovery. The Rapaport Spec Diamond Index (RAPI™) dropped across major smaller sizes in October—led by a 5.5% plunge in 0.30-carat stones and a 2.3% slide in 0.50-carat goods after late-September peaks.

Mid-sized 1-carat diamonds edged down 0.9%, while larger 3-carat stones bucked the trend with a modest 0.9% gain. Despite the retreat, 0.30-carat diamonds remain up 8.8% year-to-date.

Inventory Floods Small Sizes: Supply of 0.30-carat rounds surged 165% between June 1 and November 1, driven by ramped-up factory production and cutters sending smaller stones back for grading as prices recovered.

Rough Sales Slow Ahead of Diwali: Indian manufacturers are shuttering factories for up to a month for Diwali, dampening rough demand and dragging down De Beers’ October sight sales. Industry observers expect the holiday pause to help balance bloated inventories.

Luxury Brands Outshine the Trade: While upstream pricing softens, major luxury conglomerates continue to thrive. LVMH and Kering posted robust Q3 jewelry revenue, setting high expectations heading into the critical holiday shopping window.