Rio Tinto’s record-breaking tender for Argyle Pink Diamonds
The 2021 Argyle Pink Diamond’s are a collection of rare pink and red diamonds that were mined from Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine in Australia. Before its closure, the mine came across 70 of the rare gems, titled The Journey Beyond, which was mined in November 2020—the final year of operations at the site.
Argyle's legacy in rare diamonds
Following a series of diamond viewings, both virtually and face-to-face, the collection received record-breaking results, as 19 viewers from nine different countries committed their bids to the rare items. Two of the bids came from Calleija, Australian jeweller and Argyle Pink Diamonds Select Atelier, as it successfully claimed lot number one—a 3.47 carat Argyle pink diamond named Argle Eclipse—and number five, which is the Argyle Bohème, a 1.01 Carat Fancy Red diamond.
Jeweller John Calleija says, ‘It is an extraordinary opportunity and a privilege to be part of this historic collection. We are humbled to be the custodians of these uniquely Australian jewels and are delighted to be part of their enduring legacy’.
The other three hero diamonds of the collection were won by previous Argyle Pink bidders in the US, who claimed the Argyle Stella, Argyle Solaris and the Argyle Lumiere.
‘We are delighted with these results that are a reflection of the beauty, rarity and unique provenance of Argyle pink diamonds. They are also a testament to all those involved in taking these gems from a mine in remote Western Australia to the world’, says Sinead Kaufman, Chief Executive of Rio Tinto Minerals.
‘We are extremely proud of the Argyle Pink Diamonds business and its legacy will continue as we retain and manage the brand through a proprietary Argyle pink diamonds trading platform, certification processes and creative collaborations with our trusted partners’.
The Rio Tinto diamond business supplies almost all of the world’s rare pink, red and violet diamonds and is the primary owner and operator of the Diavik diamond mine in Northwest Canada.
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