Rio Tinto Launches "Beyond Rare Tender"
October 22, 23
(IDEX Online) - Rio Tinto is to hold The Beyond Rare Tender, showcasing polished pink and red diamonds from the now-closed Argyle mine in Australia, and yellow stones from Diavik, beneath a frozen lake in northern Canada.
A total of 48 lots will be offered for sale in a series of invitation-only events staring next month.
The first collection comprises 87 diamonds, weighing 29.96 carats in total, and includes:
• Seven Masterpiece sets of Argyle Pink Diamonds and yellow Diavik diamonds.
• Eleven perfectly matched pairs of colored diamonds
• Thirty single diamonds, including one remarkable Fancy Red Argyle diamond
"The Beyond Rare Tender is a new chapter for Rio Tinto's diamonds business, and a testimony to the ongoing demand for highly collectible natural diamonds," said Sinead Kaufman, chief executive of Rio Tinto Minerals.
"Rio Tinto has a rich history of innovative diamonds sales and marketing events and this carefully curated collection of rare jewels will be in strong demand by the world's finest jewellers, collectors and diamond connoisseurs."
The iconic Argyle mine closed in November 2020 after 37 years. It produced 90 per cent of the world's pink diamonds.
Fancy vivid purplish pink and purple-pink pears, with a total weight of 1.42 carats, courtesy Argyle Diamonds