International News
US jewellery, watches sales up by 4.4 per cent year-on-year
Sales of watches and jewelry in the US showed further signs of growth in December 2024, up 4.4 per cent year-on-year, according the latest figures from the US Department of Commerce. But there’s been a marked slowdown since the 10 per cent increases of last September and October.
November saw sales up by just 3.0 per cent, revised down from 5.8 per cent based on actual through-the-till transactions rather than estimates. October has been revised up from 9.7 per cent to 10.0 per cent.
The average monthly year-on-year growth for the full year is 5.4 per cent, so December was little below par. Having said that, it was the 15th consecutive month of growth after a long period (the end of 2022 and much of 2023) of falling sales.
International News
Gemfields’ Higher-Quality Emerald Auction Fetches $26.8 Million
Strong Demand Continuing For Top-Tier Stones Despite Broader Market Caution Driven By Geopolitical Tensions and Macroeconomic Uncertainty.
Gemfields reported revenues of $26.8 million from its latest higher-quality rough emerald auction, with strong demand continuing for top-tier stones despite broader market caution driven by geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic uncertainty.
The auction, held from 4 to 21 May 2026, saw 36 of 37 lots sold, representing a 97% sell-through rate. Of the 185,135 carats offered, 183,385 carats were sold, achieving an average realised price of $146.08 per carat.
The rough emeralds were mined by Kagem in Zambia. Buyers viewed the lots in Bangkok before bidding through Gemfields’ online sealed-bid auction platform.
Adrian Banks, Gemfields’ MD- Product & Sales, said:

“While demand for higher-quality emeralds remains stable, the market is presently exercising a degree of caution, influenced by ongoing geopolitical tensions and prevailing macroeconomic uncertainty…Competition and pricing for the top-tier emeralds remained particularly strong.”
Banks also pointed to the Indian rupee’s roughly 10% depreciation against the US dollar since Kagem’s previous higher-quality auction in September 2025 as an added challenge for many customers.
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