The trade of rough diamonds in Antwerp is down in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period last year, although figures for polished diamonds paint a more positive picture.
According to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), rough diamond imports recorded a decline of 13 per cent in carats and 19 per cent in value. The export side followed this trend, showing a drop of 14 per cent in carats and 21 per cent in value.
During the first three months of the year, Antwerp imported 24.6 million carats of rough diamonds, with a value of $3.3 billion US, and exported 25.7 million carats with a value of $3.2 billion US.
AWDC says the trade of fewer rough diamonds is a result of diamantaires purchasing less due to high prices, so much so that De Beers recently allowed its sightholders to postpone 25 per cent of their purchases.
A change in the way diamond traders conduct their purchases was also noted. Rather than acquiring entire stocks of rough, traders are now buying according to demand.
In contrast, the trade of polished diamonds remained relatively stable compared to the first three months of 2014, with seven per cent more polished diamonds imported and three per cent fewer exported. In terms of value, there was a four per cent increase on the import side and a 0.1 per cent increase on the export side.
