Rough and polished diamonds continued to attract higher prices per carat in September, according to data released today by Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC).

“The trend has been evident for most of this year, indicating increased confidence among buyers as well as restocking in the wholesale and retail sectors," AWDC said in a statement.

September polished exports climbed 1.5%in volume terms from a year earlier to 808,518 carats, but rose 21% in value terms to $1.26 billion.

Polished diamond imports totaled 820,808 carats in September, an increase of 16.4% from September 2009. By value, polished imports increased by 41.7% to $1.16 billion, AWDC said.

Rough diamond exports fell 11.2% to 8.86 million carats in September. By value rough exports were up 11.8% at $837.6 million.

Rough imports fell 23.8% by volume to 5.92 million carats. In value terms, September rough imports were up 2.9% at $637.1 million, said AWDC.