Forget diamonds—color is officially taking over the jewelry world. At this year’s AGTA GemFair in Tucson, experts from Gemworld dropped some seriously glittering truths about the colored gemstone market, and spoiler: it’s all about demand, scarcity, and unexpected color crushes.
📈 Retail Recap: Color’s on Top
💰 Holiday jewelry sales hit records (yes, even beating fashion), and guess who thrived? Independent jewelers who know their customers and serve up exactly what they want: color, simplicity, and story. Think green tourmalines, unique sapphires, and one-off fantasy cuts.
Online and social sales jumped nearly 10% YoY, while mega chains kinda flopped. Why? You can’t fake knowing your customer.
🎨 Color Is the New Gold
Stuart Robertson from Gemworld says colored stones are no longer a niche—they’re a major profit center. The Gemstone Trading Network (powered by RapNet + AGTA) is pushing the category into the spotlight, especially as diamond pros expand into color (and realize the rules are totally different).
🛑 But the Supply? Yikes.
No new major mines. No production boom. And zero signs of prices dropping on the high end. Translation: If you see something amazing, buy it.
Because if you wait, it'll either be gone—or more expensive.
Dealers know the deal: sell it, restock ASAP, or get left behind.
🌈 Trending Now: Greens, Oranges, Blues (and “Hazy” Too)
Editor Brecken Branstrator called out this year’s big color moves:
- 💚 Green Tourmaline = high availability, major vibe
- 🧡 Orange Garnets & Sapphires = rising designer fave
- 🔷 Denim Blue & Parti Sapphires = still hot
- 💨 Hazy Sapphires with silk inclusions = rebranded as “opalescent”
- 💎 Cuprian Green Tourmaline = Paraíba glow, lower price
📉 Price Shifts at the Middle & Low End
Fewer Chinese buyers at the Hong Kong shows = softening commercial prices. High-end still strong. Fancy cuts and new combos keep things fresh.
🧬 Rare Is Getting Rarer
🔥 Benitoite, alexandrite, red garnets, and neon tourmalines are flying at shows. Even traditionally overlooked stones (like zircon or rhodolite) are now high demand. Spinel? “Unstoppable.” Padparadscha sapphires? Everyone wants one—until they hear the price tag. 😅
📦 Supply Drama: Africa in Flux
Disruptions in Ethiopia, political shifts in Kenya, and issues at Gemfields’ Mozambique mine mean sourcing remains tricky. Some regions can't export much at all right now, especially tsavorite.
💰 Final Flash: Gold Costs Are Sky-High
Designers are experimenting with alternative metals as gold becomes too pricey for everyday pieces. Also, U.S. tariffs may shake things up—stay tuned.
TL;DR?
Buyers want bold color, but the rare stuff is drying up fast.
Prices are holding, the market’s shifting, and independent jewelers with good taste? They’re winning. 💪💎