The colored gemstones market is often pointed at for its total lack of transparency.
While a broad documentation about diamonds can easily be found and is available on the Internet – sector-specific market studies, organized exchanges, prices index (thanks to the Rapaport list) – the colored gemstones market is blamed for being subjective and is often seen as a mystery for whoever isn’t an insider or doesn’t belong to the profession.
We believe this is wrong. There is an impartial and public source of information that provides a true transparency about the market prices of colored gemstones: auctions.
Their added value is high, mainly thanks to the advertising they bring on. They also contribute to improve the market performance, not only in terms of price fixing but also of liquidities.
However, one must be able to match a price with a quality. That’s where the expertise and lots’s evaluation come into play.
We studied the major sales organized by Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction houses since the beginning of 2017. Our analysis is based on the minimum eligibility criteria to our quality standards: natural and non-heated sapphires and rubies, emeralds without any treatment or with minor oiling. Bought lots only kept our attention.
It might be necessary to remind our readers that we are not conducting a historical analysis that would show a market orientation.