Lucy's Diamond Insights
Deep market analysis, price trends, and diamond buying intelligence from Lucy, our resident diamond market analyst.
Subscribe via RSSNatural Rounds Split in Two This Week and One Side Is Absurdly Cheap
Natural round diamonds split into two opposite markets this week. Low colour crashed 82% in seven days while D to E surged 61%. The buying opportunities are specific, won't last long, and sit across five retailers right now.
Natural Diamonds Lost 6.4% This Week and the Slide Isn't Over
Natural diamonds dropped 6.4% across the board this week while lab-grown stones gained 5.6%. The divergence is accelerating, and natural ovals at 1ct are sitting at 45% to 49% below median. If you're shopping right now, this matters.
The 60 to 62 percent depth ideal captures only 32 percent of round inventory: how 121,008 GIA listings disagree with the standard buying advice
Almost every diamond buying guide advises filtering round brilliants to 60% to 62% depth percentage.
Natural Diamonds Just Had Their Worst Month in a While
Natural diamond prices dropped 9.5% in the past month while lab-grown ticked up 5.6% this week. The best deals are hiding in fancy shapes, and cross-retailer comparison shopping can save you 20 to 65% on the same specs.
Natural Prices Are Falling Fast and Nobody's Talking About It
Natural diamond prices dropped 6.4% this week, extending a 30 day slide to 9.5%. Lab-grown climbed 5.6%. Princess cuts are showing 100% to 260% price spreads across retailers, and one natural round is sitting 75% below median.
Natural Diamonds Slid Another 6% This Week While Lab Grown Quietly Rallied
Natural diamond prices fell 6.4% this week while lab-grown climbed 5.6%. Lucy breaks down the biggest movers, a supply surge in rounds, cross-retailer savings of up to 97%, and five exceptional deals worth knowing about.
Natural Diamonds Slid Again While Lab-Grown Quietly Climbed
Natural diamond prices dropped 6.4% this week while lab-grown rose 5.6%, opening a 12 percentage point swing between the two markets. Supply surged across both segments, cross-retailer savings topped 100% on lab-grown marquise cuts, and our system flagged five exceptional value stones priced 52% to 76% below median.
The Ideal cut illusion: how 5.97 million round listings show 42 percent of IGI lab rounds carry an Ideal tier label that GIA does not issue
The diamond trade's standard buyer advice is to demand a Triple Excellent finish on a round brilliant: Excellent cut, Excellent polish, Excellent symmetry.
The round tax inverts in lab grown: how 921,467 matched-spec listings show round is the most expensive natural shape and the cheapest lab shape
The diamond trade has long described round brilliants as the most expensive shape per carat.
How to Verify Any Diamond Certificate Online for Free
Every major diamond lab offers free online certificate verification. GIA, IGI, and HRD all maintain public tools that return a stone's grading data in seconds. Skipping this step means trusting the retailer's listing on faith alone.
The carat cliff: 0.99ct diamonds are 166 times rarer than 1.00ct in 2 million round listings, and the gap explains why your jeweller never offered you a 0.97
The diamond trade has long known that cutters round to magic-number weights at 0.90, 0.95, 1.00, 1.50, and 2.00ct.
Why Some Jewellers Hide Certificate Numbers, and How to Find Them Anyway
When a jeweller hides a diamond's certificate number, they're hiding your ability to comparison shop. Our cross-retailer data shows the same certified stone can vary by 20% to 70% depending on where you buy it. That spread represents thousands of dollars on an average purchase.