Market
Festive season demand is lifting small stones first
Diwali and wedding-season buying is concentrated in stones under a carat, pulling asking prices up faster there than at larger sizes.
Imperial Star Gems trade desk1 min read
The run-up to Diwali and the autumn wedding season is showing up first in stones under a carat.
- Retail orders placed with us over the past month have skewed toward 0.30 ct to 0.70 ct stones, both natural and lab-grown.
- Cutters are prioritising these sizes, which has tightened supply and firmed asking prices faster than at 1 ct and above.
- Matched pairs for earrings have been the single busiest request category.
If a purchase can wait until after the festive peak, larger stones and one-off fancy shapes are seeing less pressure and more room to negotiate. For pieces needed on a date, order early — our buying guides cover matched pairs for earrings and buying a diamond as a surprise in more detail.
Market commentary drawn from publicly available market data and trade reporting, not investment advice. Prices move; figures are indicative and correct as of the date above.