The Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) is launching the first ever industry Fancy Color Rarity Evaluator (FCRE™), based on five years of data collection, analysis and platform development. The FCRE™ provides proprietary rarity estimates to all yellow, pink and blue fancy color diamonds based on the diamond’s carat weight, color, color intensity, clarity and shape. The FCRE™ will provide a range estimate for the number of such diamonds unearthed in mines each year and will allocate them a Rarity Level, from Common to Super-Stone.
In recent decades, fancy color diamonds have been sold with a grading lab report, such as that of GIA. While the report provides important information concerning the diamond’s physical traits it does not provide information about rarity. Collectors and investors have depended on qualitative information from miners, auctions houses, retailers and wholesalers to obtain rarity information. The FCRE™ adds an essential tool for collectors that goes beyond the grading lab report by documenting, analyzing and processing this significant factor.
Partnering with select high-end jewelers, the FCRF is planning to introduce Rarity Certificates that will accompany select diamond jewelry pieces in Q4 2016. The FCRF believes that the transparency and information will enhance consumer appreciation of the fancy color diamond segment, and promote further adoption.
The FCRF began to develop this important tool at the request of jewelers and institutional investors for high quality rarity data. Since fancy color diamond rarity data had never been institutionally documented in the past, the FCRF began to systematically collect supply information from leading miners and grading labs and to analyze and process this data. Response from the trade to the FCRE™ has been very positive.
FCRE™ can be accessed at www.fcresearch.org/rarity.
To mark the launch of the FCRE™ the FCRF will allow free access for five days.