Rio Tinto has revealed the latest addition to its collection of Argyle Pink Diamonds jewellery, showcasing one of the last diamonds to be extracted from the now shuttered Argyle mine in WA.
The centrepiece of the jewellery is an extremely rare 1.36 carat, Fancy Deep Pink radiant cut diamond. It’s just one of twelve radiant cut diamonds over one carat with a colour grading 1P from the last 30 years of production from Argyle.
It’s surrounded by a petaled design of pink and blue diamonds totalling 1.89 carats, together with 2.80 carats of white diamonds and set in platinum and 18K gold.
It can be worn as a ring or pendant and is available for sale for $2 million.
The Argyle Rose has been created as part of a program which aims to preserve the provenance of Argyle Pink Diamonds since the mine’s closure in 2020. Expert jewellers from around the world lend their craftsmanship to valuable diamonds, creating rare and beautiful collectibles.
Rio Tinto Minerals chief executive officer Sinnead Kaufman said she was delighted to launch the Rose.
“Encapsulating a rich history and an extraordinary provenance, it is both a contemporary treasure and an heirloom for tomorrow,” she said.
“These rare and precious diamonds are one and a half billion years old, from one of the most beautiful places on earth, and the world is simply not producing them anymore.”
The jewellery was designed by Solid Gold Diamonds in Perth.
“As a pioneer custodian of Argyle pink diamonds, it was incredibly humbling to be asked to design a true generational heirloom for the Argyle Pink Diamonds Icon program,” Solid Gold Diamonds executive chairman Peter Greene said.
“The Argyle Rose design signifies the pinnacle of our long-standing relationship.”
Rio Tinto’s Argyle diamond mine closed in November 2020 and turned up some significant findings in its 38 years of operation.
When it closed, it was the fourth-biggest diamond-producing site in the world and, at one point, the mine produced 90 per cent of the world’s supply of pink diamonds.