Share

Investing in diamonds more popular

Cape Town - There is currently a very strong interest globally in investing in diamonds, according to Yair Shimansky, designer and manufacturer of diamond and tanzanite jewellery.

He told Fin24 that investments in diamonds appreciated on average 15% per year over the last 50 years.

As the demand for diamonds keeps on growing, due in part to a growing number of consumers in China and India, the available supply will be less as not many new mines are coming on board.

That would mean that diamond prices will keep on going up.

"A diamond is the most condenced store of wealth," said Shimansky.

"From an investment point of view, a diamond is more rare than gold and you can easily take it anywhere in the world."

For South African investors he regards diamonds as having a good advantage against the dollar.

"And more than that, if you invest in property you cannot put your property in your pocket," he said.

"You can buy a diamond and set it in jewellery even while it appreciates in value."

Not all diamonds are suitable for investments, though. It depends on an individual's investment strategy as there would be different options for short, long and medium term investments.

Sometimes a rough diamond could be more expensive than a cut diamond and fancy colours like yellow ones could also appreciate more, for instance.

"It is very important to understand that an investment diamond is not one where you walk into a store and just buy a diamond. Investmenting in diamonds is a very specialised area," he said.

"Diamonds are becoming increasingly popular at international auctions. They are fetching higher and higher record prices. Recently one was sold for $60m."

Shimansky said a lot of financial institutions are also currently investing in a diamond portfolio for their international clients.

"Investors understand the rarity of diamonds and therefore there is a growing demand," he said.

- Fin24

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.01
+1.1%
Rand - Pound
23.79
+0.7%
Rand - Euro
20.40
+0.8%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.40
+0.7%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+1.2%
Platinum
925.50
+1.5%
Palladium
989.50
-1.5%
Gold
2,331.85
+0.7%
Silver
27.41
+0.9%
Brent Crude
88.02
-0.5%
Top 40
68,437
-0.2%
All Share
74,329
-0.3%
Resource 10
62,119
+2.7%
Industrial 25
102,531
-1.5%
Financial 15
15,802
-0.2%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders