Diamonds and gemstones, along with precious materials like gold and platinum, are examples of hard assets that have the added benefit of portability. Diamond's value-per-size ratio is so large that the right stone can be worth as much as a private mansion, and yet fit snuggly in between your fingers.
Today, we wanted to have a better look at a specific sector of the diamond market that has the industry buzzing. Natural, Fancy-colored diamonds are not as commonly seen in the boutique windows of most Metro Manila jewellers, or even retailers from Makati city. These gemstones can sometimes command higher prices compared to their colorless counterparts.
In 2008, the economic turndown experienced by several countries, affected gold prices by 30% and colorless diamond prices by 20%, both in the negative. Fancy colored diamonds however did not depreciate in value, and continue to appreciate instead. The counter-argument to this is that the market for fancy colored diamonds is much smaller in population quantity, due to a combination of high prices, item awareness and rare availability.
There is currently an established grading system in place for every hue of the stone, which was pioneered by the Gemological Institute of America- the educational institution where our gemologists here at Gemcamp learned their trade. The criteria for grading the color of these gemstones is very strict, and can measurably distinguish different saturation levels and qualities.
Fancy-colored diamonds are some of the highest value hard assets that people keep in order to to diversify and protect their personal wealth storage.
Pinks and blues are typically the most in-demand colors at the moment, however due to more affordable prices- yellow diamonds are a constant forerunner in the industry as well. Diamonds that have hues of yellow, gray, and brown often possess prices that are identical or less than their counterpart colorless diamond's. This is considering equivalent clarity and carat sizes.
All other hues (not including black) usually possess prices that are higher than their colorless counterpart's. The Argyle mine in Australia is famous for producing the largest quantites of vibrantly pink diamonds and elegant chocolate-brown diamonds. Some colors like red are so rare that even a small stone, such as one that was 2-4 carats in size, could essentially fetch up to millions of dollars at auction.
Most colored diamonds are much more expensive than other colored gemstone varieties like ruby or sapphire. Despite this, a majority of them possess lighter tones and saturation intensities. Couple this fact with a greater rarity, and you'll get a very exclusive market that is mostly made up of connoisseurs, collectors, investors and buyers who know more about the gemstone industry than the average onlooker.
If you'd like to have your colored diamond checked, our experienced team here at the Gemcamp lab office in Quezon City would be happy to meet you for an appointment.
