The Diamond Trading Company's (DTC) December sight, which offered few surprises, reported an estimated value of $280 million. Sight participants reported no changes in assortments and slight increases in the price of cheaper diamonds.



DTC spokesperson Louise Prior explained that sight number 10 of the year is generally a smaller sale since most sightholders have completed their buying for the season and because the South African diamond industry basically closes through the month of December.



There was no ex-plan provided at the sight and reports have indicated that DTC structured its diamond supply based on sightholders' intentions to offer (ITO), so that it received only the requested goods and no additional inventory. DTC has adhered to that system throughout the fourth quarter.



“DTC is being very careful about how they go about implementing changes to prices and diamond assortments because on the one hand, there are premiums to be had on DTC boxes, but on the other hand, there is no change seen in the polished diamond market,” said one market observer.



One India-based sightholder noted that prices had increased on all Indian goods, while diamond assortments remained constant. He added that DTC still offered the cheapest goods on the market and that “they seemed to have made sure that price increases were backed with a strong demand for the goods.” Another manufacturer, who deals in better-quality items, said the diamond prices and assortments he received were consistent with those on offer at the November sight.