Rio Tinto has reported strong results from its second Beyond Rare Tender, The Art Series 02: Colour Awakened.
The event featured a curated collection of 76 diamonds across 48 lots, drawing bids from across Australia, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, the Middle East, Singapore, and North America. The tender highlighted the continued demand for natural fancy coloured diamonds, driven by their rarity and traceable origins.
The collection included legacy pink, red, and violet diamonds from the now-closed Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia, alongside white and yellow diamonds from the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada. Notably, the tender introduced seven “Old Masters” – historic diamonds from the Argyle Mine – adding further intrigue to the offerings.
Sinead Kaufman, Chief Executive of Rio Tinto Minerals, commented on the market’s enthusiasm:
“The continued strong global interest in highly collectible natural coloured diamonds and the resulting value creation reflects their stature as works of art to be treasured for future generations.”
Key Highlights from the Tender
One notable lot included a 4.04-carat pear-shaped white diamond from the Diavik Diamond Mine alongside two violet diamonds from Argyle. These were purchased by Danish jeweller Hartmanns, which collaborated with Argyle Pink Diamonds Icon Partner™, Glajz, to create a custom jewellery piece.
Ulrik Hartmann, owner of Hartmanns, reflected on the diamonds’ origins:
“I am honoured to be creating a jewelled treasure that reflects each magnificent birthplace of these three esteemed diamonds – Argyle in the remote East Kimberley region of Western Australia and Diavik, just below the Arctic Circle on the frozen edge of the earth in Canada’s Northwest Territories.”
U.S. jeweller J FINE, known for its expertise in coloured diamonds, was another successful bidder. Owner Jordan Fine remarked:
“We have a long relationship with the beautiful Argyle Pink Diamonds and we see strong ongoing market demand for the truly rare – irreplaceable fancy coloured natural diamonds with impeccable provenance.”
The Legacy of Argyle Pink Diamonds
Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine ceased production in 2020, ending a significant source of the world’s pink and red diamonds. Since then, the Argyle Pink Diamonds™ brand has been sustained through sales of remaining inventory, secondary market initiatives, certification processes, and collaborations with jewellers globally.
Jewellery historian Vivienne Becker commented on the unique characteristics of Argyle diamonds, highlighting their long history and appeal:
“Mysterious, mesmerising and miraculous, there is something unfathomable about Argyle Pink Diamonds. At more than 1.5 billion years old, their beauty, light and colour has been unleashed by human skill and transformed into the finest of natural treasures.”
Rio Tinto remains active in exploration, with ongoing projects in Canada and a new joint venture with Endiama in Angola to evaluate the Chiri kimberlite in Lunda Sul Province. This indicates an effort to address future supply challenges while reinforcing its role in the global diamond market.
