Carat Smart Australia Diamonds

24/08/2026

💎 NATURAL DIAMOND MARKET UPDATE — AUGUST 2026

There is an interesting shift happening in the natural diamond market at the moment.

After several difficult years, the market is becoming increasingly divided by size, quality and rarity rather than moving as one market.

We're seeing continued pressure on some of the more commercial, readily available natural diamonds, while larger, rarer and better-quality stones are showing considerably more resilience.

One of the reasons is supply.

Major producers have been reducing production and adjusting their strategies as the industry works through lower demand and the continued growth of lab-grown diamonds. At the same time, the market is increasingly focusing on the natural diamonds that are genuinely scarce.

Another interesting development is that the price gap between natural and lab-grown diamonds continues to reshape the market. Rather than simply competing on price, the natural diamond industry is increasingly positioning natural stones around rarity, provenance, individuality and long-term desirability.

For jewellers, this makes stock selection more important than ever.

A 1ct natural diamond isn't necessarily behaving the same way as a 3ct, 5ct or fancy-colour diamond — and the difference between buying the right and wrong goods can become significant when the market is changing.

At Carat Smart, we're continuing to focus exclusively on natural diamonds, including individual stones, larger diamonds, fancy colours and selected jewellery goods.

We'll keep sharing what we're seeing in the trade as the market develops.

Carat Smart Australia
Wholesale Natural Diamonds
Subiaco, WA

🌐 www.caratsmart.com.au

08/06/2026

Where do Blue Diamonds come from?

The famous Tavernier Blue (the precursor to Louis XIV’s French Blue and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's Hope Diamond) and the fictional Heart of the Ocean have made blue diamonds a source of fascination for centuries, capturing the popular imagination and shining as highlights in many record-breaking auctions. Principally colored by trace amounts of boron, they are some of the rarest and most desirable fancy color diamonds in the world.
Here are a few countries where the notable specimens have been found:
- South Africa: The source of some of the largest diamonds in history, the Cullinan Mine in South Africa is also famous for
producing coveted blue diamonds. Notable Fancy Vivid Blue examples include the Heart of Eternity (27.64-carat), the De Beers Cullinan Blue (15.10-carat) and the Blue Moon of Josephine (12.03-carat). In December 2025, Petra Diamonds recovered a 41.82-carat blue rough – only time will tell what exceptional blue will be fashioned from the crystal.
- Botswana: The second largest producer of diamonds in the world, Botswana has yielded the 20.46-carat Fancy Deep Blue Okavango Blue Diamond.
- India: Many historic diamonds trace their roots to India. The Farnese Blue (6.16-carat, Fancy Dark Grey-Blue) and the Hope Diamond (45.52-carat, Fancy Dark Grayish Blue) are thought to originate from the Indian Golconda region, possibly at the Kollur Mine. The Hope Diamond is specifically renowned for its French royal provenance and intense orange-red phosphorescence.

29/04/2026

Yellow Diamonds a symbol of warmth, prestige and rarity

The Tiffany Yellow, the Dancing Sun, and the Sun Drop Diamond have elevated yellow diamonds into symbols of warmth, prestige, and rarity. With hues ranging from soft lemon to rich golden canary, these stones continue to captivate collectors and take centre stage at major auctions.

While yellow diamonds are more common than blue diamonds, the finest examples—particularly large stones with strong natural colour saturation—remain exceptionally rare. Here are some notable origins of these remarkable gems:

Canada: The Dancing Sun (204.36ct, Fancy Intense Yellow) was cut from the largest gem-quality rough ever discovered in North America (552.74ct).

Democratic Republic of Congo: The 303.10ct Fancy Deep Brownish-Yellow Golden Canary was cut from the famous Incomparable Diamond. The original 890ct rough was reportedly found in the 1980s by a young girl playing in her uncle’s backyard.

South Africa: Renowned for iconic diamonds, including the 253.7ct uncut Oppenheimer Diamond (now displayed at the Smithsonian) and the impressive 110.03ct Fancy Vivid Yellow Sun Drop Diamond, later renamed Lady Dalal.

Russia: Diamonds such as the Fancy Vivid Yellow Firebird (20.69ct) and the New Sun (100+ct) highlight the rich yellow colours found in Siberia.

These extraordinary stones continue to showcase the beauty and rarity of natural yellow diamonds.

17/04/2026

Ever wondered why the GIA diamond colour scale starts at D instead of A?
Before GIA introduced the D-to-Z colour scale, the diamond trade was anything but consistent. Dealers used a mix of letters, numbers and terms like “blue white” or “fine white” to describe diamonds, often without clear definitions in place. Some graded diamonds A, B or C. Others used AA or Roman numerals. It was confusing, inconsistent and open to interpretation.
When GIA created the 4Cs in the 1950s, we set out to create a universal, unbiased system that professionals and consumers alike could trust. To avoid any association with earlier, loosely defined grading systems, we made a bold decision to start afresh.
That’s why the GIA colour scale begins at D, representing the total absence of colour, and continues to Z as yellow, brown or gray colour becomes more noticeable.
Today, the GIA D-to-Z scale is the global standard for diamond colour grading — one of the many ways GIA has brought clarity, consistency and confidence to the world of diamonds.

01/04/2026

05/03/2026

Yellow Diamond Necklace 🤩
An extraordinary creation showcasing 25 fancy vivid yellow natural diamonds, with a remarkable total weight of 112.70 carats — crafted to stand out and shine.

16/01/2026

Named after the flower that symbolizes wisdom and royalty, the Iris is a 0.64-carat Fancy Vivid Purple diamond, one of nature’s rarest treasures. Among diamonds, purple, red, blue, orange and green are the scarcest hues—prized for their beauty and exceptional value—especially when the color is pure and unmodified by secondary hues.

Graded VVS2 for its remarkable clarity, the Iris displays an evenly distributed, intensely saturated purple hue that glows with depth and brilliance.

Purple diamonds owe their color to a combination of different color centers—minute distortions or trace elements in the crystal lattice that change how the diamond absorbs light. The final color results from a careful balance of nitrogen-related N3 and H3 centers, as well as a structurally unidentified absorption band at 550 nm that is linked to plastic deformation. Higher N3 and H3 concentrations can introduce a pink hue.

Throughout history, purple diamonds have been discovered in only a few regions worldwide, most notably in the Mir kimberlite field of Siberia, Russia and at the Argyle Mine in Western Australia. With the Argyle Diamond Mine’s closure in 2020, the rarity of diamonds like the Iris has increased.

Learn more about the rarity of purple diamonds on our website: https://bit.ly/4pdKyjf

06/11/2025

Don’t cut corners when it comes to diamond cut! Here are some fun facts about diamond cut grades you might not know:

- Cut grades are based on seven factors: brightness, fire, scintillation, weight ratio, durability, polish and symmetry.
- Only round brilliant diamonds receive cut grades. All other shapes receive polish and symmetry evaluations.
- Cut might just be the most important of the 4Cs! An Excellent cut makes a diamond bright and lively. A Poor cut leaves it dull and lifeless.
- Thanks to GIA’s introduction of diamond cut grades, most diamonds on the market today have an Excellent or Very Good cut.

Learn more about diamond cut on our blog: https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/diamond-cut/?utm_campaign=consumer-education&utm_content=1761139620&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=facebook

01/10/2025

🔎While inclusions are common in rough diamonds, precise, recognizable shapes are rare. Here are four distinctive inclusions that made headlines 💎

18/09/2025

Taylor Swift's engagement ring

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce easily brought back the forgotten old mine cut diamond engagement ring after they revealed the singer's antique-inspired sparkler. Here's what you need to know about the diamond design, including its price tag, history and signature elements.