“Yellow is the new pink,” according to Chris Soklich. The director of Soklich & Co. is of course referring to diamonds, and while pink coloured hues have generated much industry hype in recent years, Soklich predicts the tide is turning.
“We have a really good selection of yellow diamonds ranging from 0.01-carat right through to 5-carat and above. Soklich & Co.’s first preference for buying coloured diamonds is from Australian diamond mines Ellendale and Argyle in the north west Kimberley region of WA,” he explains.
Suppyling stones that come from Australia is a key objective for Soklich & Co., which also has a large assortment of pink, blue and champagne coloured diamonds sourced from the Argyle diamond mine.
Soklich comes from a long line of diamond and gemstone suppliers, with his father and extended family first entering the industry in the 1960s operating under the business name Soklich Trading.
But it wasn’t until about 20 years ago when the supplier began to specialise in coloured diamonds – which now makes up approximately 95 per cent of its diamond business, the other five per cent being white.
“At that time [20 years ago] we were looking for a way to differentiate ourselves from the other diamond dealers and jewellery manufacturers,” Soklich says, adding, “but we actually eased off coloured diamonds for a period and focused more on coloured gemstones like rubies and sapphires. It’s only in the last eight years that we’ve decided to go back heavily into coloured diamonds due to increased demand.”
Aside from dealing in loose stones, Soklich & Co. also have a finished jewellery offering incorporating both coloured and white diamonds. These pieces often use champagne coloured stones.
Interesting fact …
The Ellendale Diamond Mine that is located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia produces about 50 per cent of the world’s yellow and gold diamonds.