The Argyle Mine of Kimberley, Australia has become the only significant source of ultra rare pink diamonds and other rare colored diamonds worldwide. The mine is owned and operated by Rio Tinto, a British-Australian metals and mining corporation that is determined to find and process the Earth’s most precious mineral resources.
The mine produces 0.1% of the world’s total diamond supply, but nearly 90% of the world’s pink diamonds. Unfortunately, this crown jewel of pink diamonds is expected to cease production around the year 2020 as it reaches the end of its lifespan. Now that supply is running out, prices are at an all time high for these valuable commodities.
The Argyle Diamond Tender Process
The Argyle Diamond Tender is an annual exclusive invite-only event that showcases the most exquisite and rare Argyle diamonds of the year. Approximately 200 hand-selected attendees have the opportunity to view the diamonds that are otherwise unavailable to the public. Before the event starts, each attendee receives a limited-edition catalog listing the details of each diamond. The invitee then has only one hour to view the diamonds and place a sealed bid.
2016 Argyle Tender Preview
The 2016 Argyle Pink Diamond Tender introduced a world exclusive preview hosted jointly by Rio Tinto’s Chief Executive, Alan Davies and their Australian ambassador, Damien Miller, at the Moltkes Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark. The elite event took place on June 7, 2016 where Rio Tinto showcased its finest diamonds of the year, a total of 63 rare colored diamonds at a total weight of 58.24 carats. This year’s Argyle Tender preview was themed the “Chroma Collection” due to its distinctive color strength. The collection is comprised of 57 pink diamonds, 4 red diamonds and 2 violet diamonds.
Rio Tinto Diamonds & Minerals Chief Executive Alan Davies said, “The 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender is an exceptional offering to the world’s most astute diamond collectors. The Chroma Collection is one of the finest we have ever seen across all rarity factors with an unprecedented spectrum of colour, size and clarity. We are already seeing strong global interest from established and emerging markets.”
The Exclusive Five
The highlight of this year’s collection is the five “hero” diamonds that have been exclusively chosen for their rare beauty. The most extraordinary of the five is the Argyle Violet, which is the largest violet diamond ever discovered at the Argyle mine. Each has been given a distinct name to be identified as some of the world’s most important diamonds ever discovered.
- Argyle Violet™, 2.83 carat oval shaped violet diamond
- Argyle Ultra™, 1.11 carat pear shaped violet diamond
- Argyle Viva™, 1.21 carat pear shaped Vivid purple-pink diamond
- Argyle Thea™, 2.24 carat radiant cut Vivid purplish pink diamond
- Argyle Aria™, 1.09 carat oval shaped Fancy Red diamond
The 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender will have viewings held in Hong Kong, New York and Perth. Bids will be closed on October 12, 2016.
For more information about pink diamonds, see the links below:
- Innovative Concept for Selling Pink Diamonds
- Ten Things You Should Know About Pink Diamonds
- Pink - The Uncommon Diamond Color
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