Fancy Color Diamond Index eases 0.1% in Q3, 0.5% below a year ago
Pink diamonds edged up in the third quarter while blue eased 0.2% and yellow 0.4%, the Fancy Color Research Foundation says. Fancy Vivid Pink, the grade that led, rose 1.0%.
By Carat Capital
What changed
The index barely moved. The Fancy Color Diamond Index eased 0.1% in Q3 2026, the Fancy Color Research Foundation says. It stands 0.5% below a year earlier.
What it means
- If you sell pink: The gains sit in Fancy Vivid and in 1 to 1.5 carats, FCRF says.
- If you hold yellow: Yellow fell 0.4% in the quarter and 0.9% on the year, the weakest of the three colours.
- What this is not: A turn. The second quarter read the same 0.1% and 0.5% declines.
Key figures
| Index, quarterQ3 2026 against Q2 | −0.1% |
|---|---|
| Index, yearQ3 2026 against Q3 2025 | −0.5% |
| Fancy Vivid PinkQ3, the grade that led | +1.0% |
| Yellow, quarterweakest of three colours | −0.4% |
Source: Fancy Color Research Foundation, Fancy Color Diamond Index Q3 2026, release dated New York, 4 November 2026.
Pink held its gain.
A second pink gain. Pink diamonds edged up 0.1% in the third quarter, their second consecutive quarterly gain, FCRF says. Blue eased 0.2% and yellow 0.4%.
Vivid grades led. Fancy Vivid was the only intensity grade to gain overall, led by Fancy Vivid Pink at 1.0%. The 1.5-carat Fancy Vivid Pink rose 2.2%, the quarter's strongest result.
| Colour | Q3 2026, quarter | Q3 2026, year | Since 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All fancy colour | −0.1% | −0.5% | +201.8% |
| Pink | +0.1% | −0.3% | +390.1% |
| Blue | −0.2% | −0.6% | +238.8% |
| Yellow | −0.4% | −0.9% | +46.4% |
Quarter and year figures as printed by FCRF. The quarter and year columns are its summary table; the since-2005 column is from its text.
Small sizes firmed, large softened.
Size split prices. Stones of 1 to 1.5 carats drew firmer pricing, FCRF says, while stones of 8 carats and above softened modestly.
None moved over 2.3%. No single segment moved more than 2.3% in the quarter. The index covers three colours, three intensity grades and seven carat weights.
Yellow lags since 2005.
Pink leads since 2005. Since FCRF began full data collection in 2005, the index has risen 201.8%. Pink has risen 390.1% and yellow 46.4%.
What to watch
- 11 November 2026Sotheby's Geneva closes with an 8.63-carat pink estimated at CHF 3.3m to 5m. The test: an auction price for a pink against the index's small gain.
- FCRF Q4 2026 index, date not announcedWhether pink records a third gain. The test: pink above zero again, and yellow below.
The story so far
Go deeper
What would change this call
A fourth-quarter reading with pink down and yellow up would undo this quarter's split by colour. A move above 2.3% in any segment would end the narrow range.
How the index is built
FCRF tracks prices of natural pink, blue and yellow diamonds across three intensity grades and seven carat weights. Prices are collected in New York, Hong Kong, Geneva and Tel Aviv, and the index is published quarterly.
Method
Fancy Color Research Foundation, 'FCRF Q3 2026: A Year of Impressive Stability for Fancy Color Diamond Prices', dated 'New York, November 4, 2026', read on the foundation's press-release page on 6 November 2026. Text: 'The Index eased by just 0.1% in the third quarter and stands 0.5% below its level of a year ago'; 'Pink diamonds edged up 0.1%, their second consecutive quarterly gain, while Blue and Yellow diamonds eased by 0.2% and 0.4% respectively'; 'Fancy Vivid was the only intensity grade to gain ground overall, led by Fancy Vivid Pink diamonds, which rose 1.0%'; 'The single strongest result of the quarter came from 1.5-carat Fancy Vivid Pink, up 2.2%'; 'no individual segment moved by more than 2.3% during the quarter'; 'the overall Index has risen 201.8%, with Pink diamonds up 390.1%, Blue diamonds up 238.8% and Yellow diamonds up 46.4%'. Summary table headed 'Q3/26 vs. Q2/26' and 'Q3/26 vs. Q3/25 TTM': all -0.1% and -0.5%; yellow -0.4% and -0.9%; pink +0.1% and -0.3%; blue -0.2% and -0.6%. The same page carries the Q2 release, dated 1 August 2026: the index 'declining by just 0.1%' in the quarter and 'over the trailing twelve months, the Index declined by a modest 0.5%'. The words 'stability' and 'store of value' are FCRF's; a dealer's statement in the release is not quoted.
Sources
- Fancy Color Research Foundation, FCRF Q3 2026 index release 4 November 2026