Natural Diamonds: Searching for a Bottom
The white diamond market showed faint signs of finding a floor, yet prices kept sliding. Benchmark D-IF one-carat stones fell from last year’s $16,000 per carat to $15,000. Every color and clarity dropped. Once viewed as the ultimate crisis hedge, they’re now eclipsed by precious metals, precious gemstones, crypto, and the strong U.S. dollar.

Lab-grown diamonds finally look finished. They were the “it” stone—until they weren’t. The tide has finally turned.  Hopefully naturals regain their shine while LGDs settle as cheap synthetics, like cubic zirconia.

Colored diamonds proved their value by moving sideways in a down market. Blues slipped under 1%, though vivid blues over 8 carats rose, lifted by collectors and investors. Pinks dipped just 1%, except 2-carat Fancy Intense examples gained 1.3%. Vivid and Intense yellows fell 2%, especially top Fancy Vivid gems.

Burma Goods: Pricier and Rarer
All Burmese gems—ruby, sapphire, and spinel—continue climbing due to high-end demand and zero supply. No new material has left Burma in five years because of the civil war. Only old collector and old dealer stock remains. African spinels stay plentiful and steady.

Colombian Emeralds: Trust but Verify
No-treatment top LI Colombian emeralds climbed higher in 2025, driven by nonstop collector demand. The market is messy—labs soften clarity issues with terms like “minor” or “insignificant” filler. Don’t be fooled. Buy only with brand new reports stating “none.” That tiny pool is exactly what elite buyers want.

Paraiba Tourmaline: Blue Reigns
Brazilian Paraiba blue tourmaline dominated again, its electric color sending prices sky-high. One two-carat blue topped $200,000 per carat at the show—sold the next day. That’s the game. Owning a fine Paraiba is the ultimate gem dream. Zero supply meets endless demand: the rise won’t slow. Mozambique pieces trade far lower. Like emeralds, insist on “none” clarity-enhancement reports—many are treated. Beware.

Chasing Phantoms
Collectors, keep dreaming. Burma gems, Brazilian Paraiba, Kashmir sapphires, and no-treatment lightly included Colombian emeralds are turning into legends—rarer every day. Unicorns of the gem world, they leave us hunting shadows for years. It's the reality of the high end gem world in 2026.