Rio Tinto recently unveiled the six "hero" diamonds from its 2020 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender, a collection of the rarest diamonds from a year’s worth of production at the Argyle mine in the remote east Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Among the heroes is the largest Fancy Vivid round brilliant diamond ever offered by Rio Tinto at the Tender, a 2.24-carat Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamond known as Argyle Eternity™.
With the Argyle Mine scheduled to close down at the end of this year, the current Tender is presumed to be the second-to-last offering of its kind. During its 35 years in operation, the mine famously produced between 90% and 95% of the world's pink and red diamonds.
“Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine is the first and only ongoing source of rare pink, red and violet diamonds in the world," said Arnaud Soirat, Rio Tinto's chief executive of Copper and Diamonds. "We have seen, and continue to see, strong demand for these highly coveted diamonds, which together with extremely limited global supply, supports the significant value appreciation for Argyle pink diamonds.”
Overall, the 2020 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender — titled "One Lifetime, One Encounter" — includes 62 diamonds weighing a total of 57.23 carats.
According to Rio Tinto, the six hero diamonds were selected for their unique beauty and named to ensure there is a permanent record of their contribution to the history of the world’s most important diamonds:
• Lot 1: Argyle Eternity™, 2.24-carat round brilliant Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamond.
• Lot 2: Argyle Ethereal™, 2.45-carat square radiant-shaped Fancy Intense Purple-Pink diamond.
• Lot 3: Argyle Sakura™, 1.84-carat pear-shaped Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamond.
• Lot 4: Argyle Emrys™, 0.43-carat princess-shaped Fancy Deep Grayish Violet-Blue diamond.
• Lot 5: Argyle Skylar™, 0.33-carat heart-shaped Fancy Dark Gray-Violet diamond.
• Lot 6: Argyle Infinité™, 0.70-carat oval-shaped Fancy Dark Violet-Gray diamond.
Also included in the Tender 2020 are 12 lots of carefully curated pink, red, blue and violet diamonds weighing 13.90 carats in total. Called "The Petite Suites," these collectible diamonds were assembled over five years and represent a harmonious balance of size, shape, color and clarity.
Rio Tinto has provided a virtual preview of the rare Argyle pink, red, violet and blue diamonds to an exclusive group of collectors, diamond connoisseurs and luxury jewelry houses. In-person viewings will be offered later in the year at the Argyle mine, as well as Perth, Singapore and Antwerp. Bidding will close on December 2, 2020. Rio Tinto's final Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender is expected to take place in 2021, after the iconic mine's closure.
Credits: Images courtesy of Rio Tinto Diamonds.