Seventy fancy-coloured diamonds are being sold by Rio Tinto in the final Argyle diamond sale
Mining group Rio Tinto is showcasing its final Argyle collection of rare pink, red, blue and violet diamonds. They are being showcased to high-end collectors and jewellers, both in person and virtually, from Antwerp, Belgium until October 4.
Patrick Coppens, general manager of sales and marketing for Rio Tinto, said: “The first Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender was held in Antwerp in 1984 and I am delighted to host the final epic collection in Antwerp.
“When you consider the number of diamonds presented at the annual Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender since 1984 would barely fill two champagne flutes, you begin to grasp the rarity and the tremendous gravitas of this final collection.”
Mining ceased at the Argyle Mine in November 2020 and its closure has caused speculation over the secondary market for its pink diamonds, given prices have appreciated by about 500% over the last 20 years.
The mine was established when a group of geologists stumbled across a stone in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in the 1970s. Since Rio Tinto began production in 1983, the mine has produced 95% of the world's supply of pink diamonds.
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