Coloured Gemstone Market Trends: What Buyers Are Paying For

Coloured gemstone prices have outpaced many traditional assets over the past decade, but the gains have not been evenly spread. Understanding what buyers now reward helps you buy well.

1. Provenance over prestige

A documented chain from mine to market is increasingly worth more than a famous-name origin without paperwork. Buyers — and the jewellers who serve them — want to know where a stone came from and who handled it.

2. Untreated commands the premium

The gap between heated and unheated ruby and sapphire has widened. For collectors, no indications of heating on a recognised laboratory report is now the starting point of a serious conversation.

3. Size still matters, but colour matters more

A vivid three-carat stone regularly outsells a dull eight-carat one. Saturation, evenness of colour and how the stone performs in ordinary light are what the eye — and the market — respond to.

4. Responsible sourcing is a purchase criterion

Licensed mining, fair dealing with artisanal miners and transparent export are no longer marketing language; they are conditions of sale for many retailers.

5. Emerging names

Tsavorite, spinel and Paraíba-type tourmaline have moved from connoisseur niches into mainstream demand as supply of the classic three tightens.

SOMSTONE's model — direct relationships with licensed East African miners, in-house inspection and full disclosure — is built around exactly these criteria.