DiamondBuzz
Fancy-Color Diamond Prices Dip Slightly Amid Global Trade Tensions
Market shows resilience despite U.S. tariff concerns, with vivid pink diamonds leading both gains and losses.
Prices of fancy-color diamonds declined modestly by 0.3% in Q1 compared to the previous quarter, as cautious consumer sentiment persists in light of looming U.S. tariffs, according to the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF). Pink diamonds saw the smallest dip at 0.1%, with larger stones in the fancy-vivid category performing strongly—10-carat stones rose by 3%, while 5-carat stones were up 1.1%. However, 1.5-carat fancy-vivid-pink diamonds recorded a 2.3% drop, ranking among the quarter’s biggest losers.
Blue fancy-color diamond prices edged down 0.5%, reflecting a stable market trend, while yellow diamonds fell 0.7%. The most significant drop came from the 3-carat fancy-intense yellow, which declined 3%.
Despite short-term fluctuations, the long-term trend remains positive: since 2005, pink diamond prices have soared 394%, blues have risen 242%, and yellows have gained 49%.
“While global trade anxieties — particularly around renewed US tariff proposals — have undoubtedly created caution across luxury sectors, the fancy-color diamond market remained impressively composed,” said FCRF CEO Roy Safit. “In fact, given the sharp rhetoric around import duties and reshoring, many expected a more dramatic correction. Instead, the data shows a contained, strategic repositioning. It speaks to the market’s growing maturity and the defensive appeal of vivid-color diamonds.”
DiamondBuzz
Lesotho’s Kao Diamond Mine To Halt Operations Amid Industry Slump
The Mine’s Operator, Storm Mountain, Cited A Severe Financial Crisis Driven By A Prolonged Drop In Global Rough-diamond Prices, Rising Middle East Conflict
Lesotho’s largest diamond mine, Kao, will cease operations on June 30 and transition to care and maintenance. The mine’s operator, Storm Mountain, cited a severe financial crisis driven by a prolonged drop in global rough-diamond prices, rising Middle East conflict-related fuel costs, and stiff competition from lab-grown diamonds.
Despite a warning last October that the mine required $13 million in fresh capital to survive, the necessary investment did not materialise. According to CEO Neo Hoala, the steep market decline made continued operations unsustainable. The shutdown will impact roughly 750 workers.
The mine’s financial downturn is stark: in 2024, Storm Mountain sold 250,000 carats for $50 million—a massive drop from its $105 million revenue in 2022. Kao’s suspension reflects a broader crisis in the diamond sector, following recent insolvencies and closures at Canada’s Ekati mine and South Africa’s Ekapa and Finsch mines.
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