Rio Tinto Argyle Tender 2013: Features Fancy Red Gems
A person well-versed with the world of natural fancy color diamonds is well aware of the most prestigious color diamond event of the year, The Argyle Tender. It is an all important, invitation-only, annual tender held by Rio Tinto’s celebrated Australian Argyle Mine, known for their magnificent argyle pink diamonds.
Argyle Pink Diamond
Pink diamonds, produced at the Argyle Mine are highly coveted as the world’s most sought after gems. To see an Argyle pink diamond is rare. To own one is serendipity defined.
The Argyle Diamond Mine generates more than ninety per cent of the world’s pink diamonds, which are sold in a broad range of colors and sizes to an international customer base. The annual Argyle Tender showcases the best of a year’s production from Argyle.
Excitement around this year’s Tender collection is understandable as Argyle pink diamonds are a diminishing natural treasure distinguished by their uniqueness, limited availability, exceptional craftsmanship, rich provenance and natural beauty.
The 2013 Argyle Tender promises to be unforgettable, with sixty four exciting lots exhibiting exceptionally rare color diamonds.
Amongst the lots, fifty-eight hold pink diamonds, whereas three hold extremely rare & wonderful violet gray/blue diamonds. Also, for the first time ever in the thirty year history of the Argyle Diamond Mine, they proudly present three fantastic Fancy Red Diamonds of imposing size as the focal point of this exclusive sale.
Making their first public appearance at a world exclusive preview in Sydney, the 3 red diamonds represent the pinnacle of value & absolute rarity in the diamond industry.
Argyle Pink Diamonds manager Josephine Johnson said, “Since mining began in 1983 only six diamonds certified as Fancy Red by the Gemological Institute of America have been presented for sale at the annual Tender. To have three of these rare red diamonds in one Tender is a very special moment in time.”
All 64 stones in the 2013 tender were cut and polished by Rio Tinto’s master craftsmen in Western Australia recognized round the globe for their expertise, precision & artistic flare.
The 2013 Tender collection is notable for its unique combination of colors & sizes. Among the many dazzling diamonds at this year’s tender, the six top ones have been selected for their unsurpassed beauty and named to ensure that there is a permanent record of their contribution to the history of world’s most important diamonds.
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The Argyle Phoenix |
Lot 1 of the 2013 Argyle Tender is bestowed to the 1.56-carat round brilliant Fancy Red diamond with I2 clarity. It has been named in honor of the newly commissioned Argyle underground mine.
Among the exceptionally rare coloured diamonds on display in Tokyo, Japan, as part of the Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender 2013 are, left to right, the Argyle Aurelia, Argyle Phoenix, Argyle Seraphina and Argyle Celestial dimaonds.
According to Josephine Johnson, manager of Argyle Pink Diamonds, “The Argyle Phoenix is an exquisite diamond, worthy of the Gemological Institute of America’s highest grading. Its transformation from a 1.6 billion-year-old rough diamond into a jewel for the 21st century is truly extraordinary.”
“The intrinsic beauty and unrivalled color intensity of this red diamond is symbolic of its East Kimberley birthplace and the treasures that lie within the depths of the new underground mine,” Ms Johnson said.
Ever since mining began at Argyle in 1983 only six diamonds have been categorized as Fancy-Red, and of those six, three have been tendered at this event. It is indeed an extraordinary honor.
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The Argyle Seraphina |
The Argyle Seraphina is a 2.02 ct. fancy intense purple-pink princess cut diamond of SI2 clarity, an impressive intensity, size, and clarity for a princess cut stone.
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The Argyle Aurelia |
The second smallest diamond among the top six stones, the Aurelia is a 1.18-carat oval Fancy Intense Purplish Pink diamond of SI2 clarity. It holds a 3PP Argyle color grading.
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The Argyle Imperial |
For the first time in eight years the tender will feature a diamond of more than three carats – the 3.02 carat radiant, fancy intense orangey-pink diamond (SI1 clarity), named the Argyle Imperial.
This radiant diamond takes the 4th lot at this year’s tender.
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The Argyle Celestial |
Equally unusual is the 0.71 carat blue heart-shaped diamond, Argyle Celestial (VS1 clarity), which is expected to be sold with a matching heart-shaped fancy pink diamond from the collection.
Two heart-cut diamonds from the Argyle Pink Diamonds Tenders 2013 in Tokyo: the 0.71ct Argyle Celestial Fancy Dark Gray-Blue diamond (left) and a matching pink diamond heart.
As the only true blue in the Tender (the other two other gray diamonds with blue in them, are not categorized as blue), this heart shaped splendor takes the fifth lot. The diamond will be sold along with a matching heart-shaped Fancy Pink diamond from the collection.
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The Argyle Dauphine |
The Argyle Dauphine is a 2.52-carat radiant-cut Fancy Deep Pink diamond with a strong 2P Argyle color grading and SI2 clarity.
U P D A T E
It has been reported that the 1.56 ct Phoenix, one of the six highlighted stones in the 2013 tender sold for more than $2 million. The buyer, from south-east Asia, “described the collection as an absolute exquisite”, and added that this is the most he has ever paid for an argyle tender stone. He paid about 25% more this year than last year.
In totality, the Tender fetched over $25 million, and this year there were the most bids ever over $1 million. Josephine Johnson, Rio Tinto’s Argyle Pink Diamond manager says that “this year, 30% more bidders took part of the event.” “We saw much more aggressive bidding, and it well exceeded all our expectations”, she added.
Other Rio Tinto Argyle Tenders
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Rio Tinto Argyle Tender 2013 |
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Rio Tinto Argyle Tender 2016 |
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Rio Tinto Argyle Tender 2017 |
