Rio Tinto Adds Mumbai to Pink Tender Showcase

Rio Tinto’s 2009 Argyle Pink Diamond Tender is set to go on show. The tender, which will show in Mumbai for the first time, consists of 43 pink diamonds. The year's showpiece is an intense pink, heart-shaped stone named "Argyle Amour™." With a weight of 2.61 carats, it is the most valuable heart-shaped pink diamond ever produced from the Argyle mine.

Two other noteworthy stones are a 1.25 carat purplish pink round diamond named "Shalimar™," and the "Argyle Scarlett™," a 1.10 carat red oval diamond.

According to Jean-Marc Lieberherr, general manager for the sales and marketing for all diamonds from Rio Tinto’s diamond mines, “excitement around this tender collection is understandable. The rarity of Argyle pink diamonds has created a connoisseurship for them and there is a growing recognition that the earth will not produce pink diamonds for that much longer.”

As well as adding Mumbai to the pink diamonds world tour, this year Argyle Pink Diamonds Select Ateliers in London, Sydney and Perth will showcase these rare diamonds to their respective clients at in-store preview events.

Tender viewings will held be in Mumbai (August 6 -10,), Perth (September 1 – 11) and Hong Kong (September 19-27).

The Argyle mine in Western Australia is currently transitioning from an open pit mine to an underground mine, which is estimated to extend its production life to 2018.