Both gold and diamonds are characterized by their beauty but also by their expensive cost. But beyond these common elements, for some there is a third that connects them. The fact is that many investors are now turning to diamonds.
While gold has emerged throughout human history as a precious metal and currency, the emergence of diamonds as a valuable commodity is much more recent. Although diamonds have always been recognized as precious stones, widespread demand for diamonds did not appear in the West until the 1800s, and their place as a center stone in jewelry and engagement rings was not secured until the mid-1900s, due to clever advertising techniques.
Thus, the demand for gold is generally more stable compared to the demand for diamonds. For example, when central banks seek to maintain the value of their currency, they often increase strategic gold reserves rather than strategic diamond reserves.
Gold excels diamonds in something else too.
While every ounce of gold could be exploited in industry, for jewelry or as an investment, diamonds are less versatile. Their value varies greatly from stone to stone, as it depends on its size, color, clarity and cut.
Many diamonds are therefore useless for any non-industrial purpose. While gold can be used as a bar that is turned into jewelry and then melted back into a bar, cutting a diamond over and over again would destroy its value.
Both gold and diamonds are valuable due to their relative rarity, but advances in technology seem to be changing that, as one can now buy a lab-grown diamond without shelling out a fortune.
It is precisely this lab-made diamond production that has dropped the value of natural diamonds by over 25% since 2016, making gold look like a much better option for those interested. So if you want to have diamonds in your investment portfolio rather than gold, you should probably think again.
