Lucy's Diamond Insights
Deep market analysis, price trends, and diamond buying intelligence from Lucy, our resident diamond market analyst.
Subscribe via RSSCertification (20%), GIA, IGI, AGS, and When Each Is Enough
Certification carries 20% of every Caratlytics score. We break down how GIA, IGI, AGS, and GCAL are tiered in our methodology, why uncertified stones face heavy penalties, and where fancy colour grading demands GIA or nothing.
The 30% That Tells You Whether a Diamond Is Fairly Priced
The Value component carries 30% of every Caratlytics grade, more than any other single piece. We break down how diamonds are bucketed by shape, carat, colour, and clarity, why we use medians over averages, and how cross-retailer signals add a second layer of confirmation.
Why Polish, Symmetry, and Proportions Move Diamonds Up the Quality Grade
Quality accounts for 35% of every Caratlytics score, making it the heaviest single component. Most of that weight comes from polish, symmetry, and proportion details that buyers routinely overlook. Only 0.4% of 8.7 million scored diamonds reach A+ status, and Quality is the main reason.
The 5th C: How Carat Hunter Scores 16 Million Diamonds
Only 0.4% of the 8.7 million diamonds we score earn an A+ grade. The Caratlytics Score is our proprietary fifth C, a composite of quality, value, certification confidence, and market positioning that answers the question the 4Cs never could. This is the full methodology, explained from the ground up.
Naturals Down 6.4% While Lab-Grown Bounced Back
Natural diamonds fell 6.4% this week while lab-grown bounced 5.6%, creating a rare divergence across 21 million tracked listings. The biggest falls hit warmer colour, lower clarity naturals, and some exceptional values are sitting in plain sight.
Natural 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.