The Next Era of Fancy Color Diamond Supply

Secondhand market takes the lead over mining 

Over the last decade, traditional mining has failed to satisfy the market demand for exceptional Fancy Color Diamonds. At the same time, following the natural succession of generations, the pre-owned market for rare Fancy Color Diamonds seems to be taking the lead. The low volume of exotic, unearthed rough, doesn’t always land in the manufacturer’s hands. 

A Bain & Company report from 2013 indicated that about 2.1 billion carats of rough diamond reserves are waiting to be unearthed, which translates to about 1 billion carats of polished diamonds. On the other hand, an FCRF proprietary research indicates that 1.6 billion carats of polished diamonds were accumulated for centuries in people’s vaults, most of them during the 20th century. It is important to remember that a significant portion of these diamonds are too small to be unmounted and will never circulate back to the trade as loose diamonds.  Calculating the approximate volume of diamonds above and underground gives us a