Assortment and qualities showed no significant changes.
Although with the first sight of 2015 having an estimated value of $450 million, De Beers has anticipated the slowing rough market with an estimated 4 percent price adjustment across the board.
In the open rough market prices for similar goods are 20 percent lower than the contract sales, by the major miners. According to a sightholder.
General sentiment in the rough market was negative among sightholders and brokers. “I don’t know of a single box at the sight on which people will make money,” said a sightholder
De Beers has relaxed sightholder allocation rules for the January sight, allowing the deferment of 25 percent for two months without a penalty.
20 percent of the sight boxes buy values were deferred.