Rio Tinto’s Argyle send-off sets record

The invite-only event will go out with a bang in its 38th and final year as 70 red, pink and blue diamonds weighing a combined 81.63 carats are sold to collectors, connoisseurs and luxury jewellery houses.

Chief executive of Rio Tinto Minerals Sinead Kaufman said the final showcase will represent the work of those who served the mine.

“I am delighted to launch this historic collection of extraordinary diamonds, a testament to the amazing Argyle ore body and the men and women who have worked so hard to bring these diamonds to market,” Kaufman said.

The Tender will travel to Perth, Antwerp, Singapore and Sydney, subject to COVID-19 restrictions, before bids close on September 1, 2021.

Five of the Tender’s most impressive diamonds have been selected for their unique qualities and will headline the event, all with their own names to represent the enduring effect they’ve had on the diamond industry.

In order of size, they are Argyle Eclipse, Stella, Lumiere, Solaris and Bohème.

Argyle Eclipse is a 3.47 carat radiant shaped fancy intense pink diamond – the largest of its kind ever shown at the Argyle Tender.

The very last blue and violet diamonds from the Argyle mine will also be on offer, comprised of 41 diamonds, weighing 24.88 carats.

Jewellery historian Vivienne Becker said the final Tender has been curated to perfection in order to represent the intense value and rarity of the Argyle mine’s produce.

“This final epoch-making offering of pink, red and blue diamonds encapsulates the near-impossible rarity and compelling beauty of the natural treasures gifted to the world by the east Kimberley region of Western Australia,” Becker said.

“Over the near four-decade life span of the Argyle mine, Rio Tinto has built a unique diamond brand of integrity and authenticity, an Australian icon and source of national pride, now recognised and asked for, by name, across the globe.”