IDEX Online) - Rough sales showed some early signs of recovery at De Beers' first sight of the year.
The UK-based miner said yesterday (31 January) that demand was increasing but cautioned that a full recovery would take time.
Total sales (provisional) for Cycle 1 were $370m as India resumed purchases after a two-month moratorium and US consumer spending increased during over the holiday season.
That figure is almost three times higher than the $130m achieved in the final cycle of 2023, but well down on sales flr the same period last year, of $454m. Average sales per cycle last year were $362m.
CEO Al Cook said: "Solid consumer demand for diamonds in the United States over the year-end holiday season has certainly helped to stabilise the industry and we are seeing polished diamond prices increasing again.
"Combined with the restart of rough diamond imports into India, this has led to demand for rough diamonds increasing substantially in the first sales cycle of 2024.
"However, as the prospects for economic growth in many major economies remain uncertain, we expect that it may take some time for rough diamond demand to fully recover."