Yellow Prices Fall in Third Quarter

RAPAPORT... Prices of yellow diamonds decreased in the thirdquarter, driving down the overall fancy- color index even while pinks and bluesremained steady, the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) said. The index for yellows fell 1.5% quarter on quarter for the threemonths ending September 30, and 4.9% year on year, according to the FCRF, whichreleased its quarterly Fancy Color Diamond Index (FCDI) Wednesday. By contrast, prices of blue fancy-color diamonds inched up0.1% compared with the second quarter, and 0.5% versus the same period a yearago, while pinks slipped 0.1% quarter on quarter and increased 0.9% from the 2018 period. The strongest decrease in the yellow category was in the3-carat fancy-vivid division, which slid 3.5% from the previous quarter, while8-carat fancy-vivid yellows fell 10%. The only yellow category that showed nodecrease was fancy-intense yellows weighing 2 carats, FCRF noted. "The civil unrest in Hong Kong has had a negative impact onthe entire luxury market, including diamonds and jewelry," said FCRF advisoryboard member Ephraim Zion. "Having said that, I'm not surprised that FancyColor Diamonds have been more resilient and managed much better than theircounterparts." The index tacks prices of yellow, pink and blue fancy-colordiamonds in Hong Kong, New York and Tel Aviv. Image: A 20.49-carat fancy-vivid-yellow diamond. (Christie's)