prices for certified diamonds were stable, due to improved demand during the Christmas purchasing season, Rapaport reported. Diamond dealers focused their attention on deliveries to American retailers, noting the high demand for diamonds of commercial quality of the lowest price category, which is due to the propensity of consumers to save and reduce spending on holiday purchases.
The price index RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI ™) for diamonds weighing 1 carat in November fell by 0.1%. RAPI for diamonds weighing 0.30 carats increased by 1.4%, and diamonds weighing 0.50 carats went up by 0.2%. With respect to diamonds weighing 3 carats, the index fell by 0.3%.
The monthly report Rapaport for November 2013, entitled "Holiday Stability" (Holiday Stability) notes that in early November, the diamond trade was calm, as Indian dealers were on holidays on the occasion of the holiday Diwali. Then the situation on the market improved, sales forecasts for Thanksgiving were growing, but the trade turnover remained below the corresponding figures in previous years. There is a good demand for diamonds weighing 0.3 and 0.5 carats in color HJ, purity SI1-I2, as well as diamonds of fantasy colors. According to some reports, US retail sales at the weekend on Thanksgiving day fell by 2.7%, and average spending on the buyer fell by 4% to $ 407.02, as stated by the National Retail Federation.
In the markets of the Far Eastern region, there remains a high demand for gold jewelry and a stable demand for jewelry with precious stones. Chinese consumers enjoy a decline in gold prices, which fell in price in 2013 by almost 25%. Indian retail jewelry sales during the celebration of Diwali were relatively weak. The government constrains the volume of gold consumption - since the beginning of the year import duties have increased several times, reaching 10%.