Diamond 💎 Pricing
a 30-year story
1-carat round natural diamond
(D-I color, VVS2-SI2 clarity)
• Prices rose ~4x from 1996 → 2022 peak
• Then crashed ~35–45% in just 2–3 years
• Lab-grown diamonds (now 45%+ of engagement ring sales) killed demand and the correction is still ongoing
Net Result: A 1-ct round natural diamond you bought in 2022 has lost nearly half its value. One bought in the mid-2000s is roughly flat after the recent crash.
Was not a good longterm store of value.
