A good time to invest in pink, blue or yellow diamonds? Fancy coloured stones will never go out of style, with distinctive shapes capturing increased interest – especially among Chinese collectors
A good time to invest in pink, blue or yellow diamonds? Fancy coloured stones will never go out of style, with distinctive shapes capturing increased interest. Photos: Handout
Haute Couture Week saw yellow diamonds at Graff, Messika, De Beers, Chaumet and Dolce & Gabbana, after South African soprano Pretty Yende sang at Charles III’s coronation bedecked in sunny-hued stones
The market for pink and blue diamonds looks soft compared with a decade ago, while Argyle Pink Diamonds owner Rio Tinto sparked excitement this month with the announcement of a new Beyond Rare tender
There was a moment in Westminster Abbey just before Charles III’s coronation when South African opera singer Pretty Yende performed an aria wearing a suite of canary-yellow diamonds by Graff to complement her yellow gown.
Fast-forward two months to Haute Couture Week in Paris – when all the major jewellers present their new collections – and Graff’s Paris flagship boutique was bursting with yet more yellow stones. The Sunrise collection brought together an incredible selection of rare yellow diamonds including a 30.28-carat fancy intense yellow diamond with the sunniest hue, set in a yellow and white diamond pendant.
“[Laurence] Graff was loving yellow diamonds at a time when everyone else was only looking at white – he started collecting the best yellow,” says design director Anne-Eva Geffroy. Graff began his collection in 1974 with the historic Star of Bombay yellow diamond. “They bring so much joy,” she adds. “Now we’re quite famous for our yellow diamonds, and they’re becoming very fashionable.”
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Graff Sunrise exhibition, yellow diamond
Indeed they are. During Haute Couture Week in July, more stunning yellow diamonds were on display at Messika, De Beers, Chaumet and Dolce & Gabbana. Dolce’s Sicilia necklace showcases an eye-catching 100-carat yellow pear-shaped diamond, while the Jardin de Chaumet collection features pretty, pansy ear studs, a ring with fancy vivid yellow centres, and a diamond-set transformable tiara-to-brooch.
Messika highlighted two pieces from its Midnight Sun high jewellery collection that, according to the brand, offer incredible investment stones. The Glitter Fever necklace has a line of 15 yellow diamonds while the Ultimate Party necklace features a 20-carat pear-shaped yellow diamond and a cushion-cut nine-carat white diamond. Both share a beautifully strong contemporary design, with the significant stones enhancing their investment appeal.
Jewellers rarely discuss prices publicly, but that week De Beers showcased a fiery little tangerine-hued two-carat orange diamond from one of its mines. This ultra-rare diamond had been cut into a cushion shape and was awaiting a client to choose its setting. The price? Just shy of US$12 million.
De Beers’ Metamorphosis collection is notable for several exceptional diamonds aside from the orange, including a 10.28-carat fancy vivid orange-yellow diamond and an extremely rare fancy intense pinkish-purple diamond ring. “We’re seeing increased interest in coloured diamonds – especially in distinctive shapes,” says Céline Assimon, CEO of De Beers Jewellers, who mentions one client who requested very specific proportions for her pear-shaped earrings, which De Beers was able to accommodate.
Metamorphosis by De Beers collection, Summer Ring
“High jewellery is still an investment category, like couture or art. There is value in the design and craftsmanship but also in the materials used, which should be the finest – the best of the best. It’s a constant in how this category has grown over time, catering to a discerning clientele,” she adds.
All high jewellery can be considered a form of investment, with prices for these one-of-a-kind designs starting at around US$200,000. When you take into consideration a highly sought-after, rare, vividly coloured diamond, then “investment” takes on a whole new meaning. This is where the smart money is – even banks invest in these geological rarities.
The value of natural-coloured diamonds rose 77 per cent between 2010 and 2019 according to the Israel-based Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF). Fancy pink diamonds led the index during the decade, increasing in value by 116 per cent, while the value of fancy yellow and fancy blue diamonds rose by 21 per cent and 81 per cent respectively.
