Rio Tinto recently showcased a collection of rare Argyle diamonds to an exclusive group of buyers ahead of an upcoming year-end tender – one of the very last offerings from the Argyle mine.

The 2020 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender is headlined by a 2.24-carat fancy vivid purplish-pink diamond, which is the largest round brilliant diamond ever offered at Rio Tinto’s annual sale, revealed the miner.

It is part of a collection of 62 diamonds weighing a total of 57.23 carats. Titled One Lifetime, One Encounter, the tender alludes to the impending closure of the Argyle mine by end-2020 after four decades of production. 

Arnaud Soirat, Rio Tinto copper and diamonds chief executive, commented, “Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine is the first and only ongoing source of rare pink, red and violet diamonds in the world. We have seen, and continue to see, strong demand for these highly coveted diamonds, which together with extremely limited global supply, supports the significant value appreciation for Argyle pink diamonds.”

The top lot, known as Argyle Eternity™, is one of the six hero diamonds on offer. Others include: Argyle Ethereal™, a 2.45-carat square radiant fancy intense purple-pink diamond; Argyle Sakura™, a 1.84-carat pear-shaped fancy vivid purplish-pink diamond; Argyle Emrys™, a 0.43-carat princess-cut fancy deep grayish-violetish blue diamond; Argyle Skylar™, a  0.33-carat heart-shaped fancy dark gray-violet diamond; and Argyle Infinité™, a 0.70-carat oval fancy dark violet-gray diamond.

The tender will also feature 12 lots of miniature Argyle pink, red, blue and violet diamond sets, weighing 13.90 carats in total. “The Petite Suites” collections have been curated over five years, striking a balance between size, shape, colour and clarity, revealed Rio Tinto.

The 2020 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender was previewed virtually with exclusive invitees. The company will hold viewings later in the year at the Argyle mine and in Perth, Singapore and Antwerp, with bids closing on December 2, 2020.