Sales were significantly higher than the $116-million of rough diamonds sold in the sixth sales cycle of 2020. It is also higher than the $477-million of rough diamonds sold during the fifth sales cycle of this year.

“Our sixth sales cycle of the year has seen the continuation of good demand for rough diamonds, driven by strong demand for diamond jewellery in the key US and China consumer markets.

“With the ongoing strength in consumer sales of diamond jewellery, the outlook remains positive for the second half of the year, subject to the risks that the pandemic continues to present across the globe,” CEO Bruce Cleaver say.

Owing to the restrictions on the movement of people and products in various jurisdictions around the globe, De Beers Group says it has continued to implement a more flexible approach to rough diamond sales during the sixth sales cycle, with the Sightholder event extended beyond its normal week-long duration.

As a result, the provisional rough diamond sales figure quoted for the sixth sales cycle represents the expected sales value for the period July 12 to 27 and remains subject to adjustment based on final completed sales.