Diamond Market Update | August 31, 2026

Rapaport’s latest completed monthly benchmark recorded flat or higher natural polished-diamond asking prices across all four tracked sizes in July. The 1-carat index was unchanged, ending 13 consecutive months of declines. The 0.30-carat index rose 1.6%, the 0.50-carat index rose 1.8%, and the 3-carat index rose 0.2%. Year over year, all four indexes remained lower, within a range of 0.5% to 21.5%. RAPI measures asking prices for a defined group of GIA-graded round diamonds and does not represent every shape, grade, or individual stone.

In the natural rough-diamond market, De Beers reported first-half consolidated sales of 12.4 million carats, 13% above the same period of 2025. Rough-diamond sales value declined 23% to $1.313 billion, while the consolidated average realized price declined 32% to $105 per carat. De Beers’ average rough-diamond price index was 16% lower. These figures describe the upstream rough market and are separate from polished retail pricing.

On August 26, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License 104B, extending through September 1, 2027 a limited authorization covering certain pre-cutoff nonindustrial diamonds that were already outside Russia by the applicable 2024 deadline. The authorization applies only to qualifying legacy inventory and does not reopen imports of newly sourced Russian diamonds or permit transactions involving blocked persons. The broader prohibition on Russian-origin diamond imports remains in effect.

For readers comparing a natural or laboratory-grown diamond of one carat or more, visit the Pryce House Diamond Room for individual review and indicative pricing.

All market figures above concern natural diamonds. Laboratory-grown diamonds have a separate market and are priced independently. Market indexes are not appraisals, offers, or price quotations for individual stones.