Rio Tinto inaugurated its extravagant 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender with a world exclusive preview in Copenhagen. The stage was set against the backdrop of a rare Argyle pink diamond jewelry exhibition.
After 37 years & more than 865 million carats of excavated diamond rough, mining at Argyle stopped on November 3, 2020.
Argyle Colored Diamonds 2016 Tender
Image Courtesy: www.riotinto.com
Rio Tinto’s chief executive of diamonds and copper, Arnaud Soirat, said, “Argyle’s influence today reaches many areas and across many continents. I am very proud to thank all those who helped find and develop the mine and make some of the best diamonds the world has ever seen.”
On that day, Traditional Owners, employees, and other important people in the area went to the mine’s closing event, which marked the official change from an operational mine to rehab.
Rio plans to decommission, dismantle, and rehabilitate the mine for five years. After that, they will monitor it for another five years.
The Argyle underground mine, became fully functional in the year 2015. All the diamonds in the 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender have been extracted from this mine.
Before closing, the Rio-Tinto-owned Argyle mine delivered 90% of the world’s pink diamonds. These blush-color stones were so rare that a year-long mining operation quarrying tonnes of earth yielded just a palm full of these gems. Consequently, they sold for more than $1 million a carat.
Argyle Colored Diamonds 2016 Tender
Image Courtesy: www.riotinto.com
Scientists are still studying the environmental factors that forge pink diamonds. However, they deduced that due to local geological causes, the earth exerted the most significant underground pressure on the Argyle diamond pipe compared to anywhere else. The crushing weight distorted the crystalline lattice of these diamonds. Ergo, the light passing through the gemstones bends towards the far end of the color spectrum, imparting pink, red, and violet hues.
The high-security auction location was kept top-secret, and organizers carefully screened the credentials of 150 invite-only bidders.
Argyle Blossom Ring Featuring Six Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender Stones
Image Courtesy: www.riotinto.com
The world exclusive preview was showcased in Copenhagen together with a unique exhibition of rare pink diamond jewelry. The exhibition was hosted by Denmark’s premier luxury jeweler Hartmann’s at the Moltkes Palace in Copenhagen.
Rio Tinto inaugurated its extravagant 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender with a world-exclusive preview in Copenhagen. A rare Argyle pink diamond jewelry exhibition set the stage for the event.
The 2016 tender included sixty-three pink, red & violet diamonds. The scintillating stones symbolized the finest of that year’s production from the Rio Tinto Argyle diamond mine.
Called the “Chroma Collection” because of its potency of color, the Tender comprised four red diamonds, two violet diamonds & fifty-seven pink diamonds. The gleaming gems weighed a total of 58.24 carats.
At the time, Alan Davies, Rio Tinto Diamonds & Minerals chief executive, said the 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender was an exceptional offering to the world’s most astute diamond collectors. In addition, the Chroma collection was one of the finest across all rarity factors, with an unprecedented spectrum of color, size, and clarity.
Among the lot, the astounding 2.83 carats oval-shaped Argyle Violet diamond was the focal point of the prestigious Tender. It is the largest violet diamond ever yielded by the Argyle mine, the solitary source of hydrogen-rich violet diamonds worldwide. Violet diamonds are scarce. Merely twelve carats of polished diamonds emerging from the Argyle mine and included in the iconic Tender for over thirty-two years have been violet diamonds.
Argyle has only found 20 violet diamonds in the preceding 32 years, and they all add up to 12 carats. Consequently, a 2.83-carat violet is exceptional. Moreover, it is the most prominent violet from the mine. Lapidaries cut from a 9.17 carat rough.
The Argyle underground mine became fully functional in the year 2015. This underground shaft yielded all the diamonds in the 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender.
Rio Tinto Diamonds managing director Simon Trott said the year’s Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender was extraordinary, a testament to the unique Argyle ore-body that produced the world’s rarest gems.
Rio Tinto selected five centerpiece diamonds in the collection for their unique beauty & named them to ensure their place in the history of the world’s most important diamonds. These are as follows:
- Lot 1: Argyle Violet™, 2.83 carat oval shaped violet diamond
- Lot 2: Argyle Ultra™, 1.11 carat pear shaped violet diamond
- Lot 3: Argyle Viva™, 1.21 carat pear shaped Vivid purple-pink diamond
- Lot 4: Argyle Thea™, 2.24 carat radiant cut Vivid purplish pink diamond
- Lot 5: Argyle Aria™, 1.09 carat oval shaped Fancy Red diamond
The tininess of the small diamonds immediately registered in your consciousness. They were so small that you had to hold them with tweezers. The truth is that quality pink diamonds above one carat are scarce. The Argyle mine can produce less than ten of them annually.
Also accompanying the Tender in Hong Kong was the Argyle Blossom, a multi-million dollar Argyle pink diamond ring comprising six pink and violet diamonds from previous Argyle Pink Diamonds tenders. This floral masterpiece is a testament to the artistry, skill, and passion of all those involved in the careful custody of Argyle pink diamonds, from mine to the marketplace.
Tio-Tinto showcased the world-exclusive preview of Copenhagen with a unique exhibition of rare pink diamond jewelry. The exhibition was hosted by Denmark’s premier luxury jeweler Hartmann’s, at the Moltkes Palace in Copenhagen.
The Argyle Pink Diamond tender used to be the most exclusive diamond sale in the world. Invited bidders come with only a loupe and a cool head for a two-hour look. The diamantaires and jewelers have about two minutes to look at each diamond and write their bids in the secret Tender. They then waited to hear if Argyle accepted their offer. With over 100 jewelers bidding on only 63 stones, none of them won more than one or two.
The bids finally closed on October 12, 2016, after subsequent (invitation-only) viewings in Hong Kong, New York, and Perth.
Argyle has full custody of these diamonds from mine to sale to the final retailer, and each stone is sculpted & polished in-house. The rough materials look like slices of Turkish Delight, and polishing almost seems criminal. Nevertheless, it does bring out their brilliance and color.
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 |
