Rio Tinto has launched its 2024 ‘Beyond Rare’ tender, the second in its Art Series collection, showcasing 48 exceptional lots of rare diamonds.
This year’s collection, titled ‘Colour Awakened,’ features seven historic diamonds from Australia’s now-closed Argyle diamond mine, which operated from 1983 to 2020.
The “old masters” consist of seven round brilliant-cut pink and red diamonds, ranging from 0.60 to 2.63 carats.
Each was unearthed from the Argyle mine over a decade ago, with one dating back to 1987. These diamonds, carefully retrieved from private vaults, have been handpicked for this year’s tender.
At the event’s London launch, Rio Tinto Minerals CEO Sinead Kaufman stated: “No other mining company in the world holds such a diverse array of colored diamonds.
Four years after Argyle’s closure, our Beyond Rare tender is a testament to the lasting prestige of the Argyle pink diamond brand, the quality of production from our Diavik mine, and the ongoing demand for rare natural diamonds.”
In addition to the old masters, the Art Series 02 features pink, red, and violet diamonds from the Argyle mine, along with white and yellow diamonds from Rio Tinto’s Diavik mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories.
The collection includes 76 diamonds, weighing a total of 39.44 carats, comprising seven old masters, including one fancy red diamond, 32 single lots of pink and violet diamonds (including one fancy purplish red diamond), and nine diamond sets.
Among the highlights are a 2.47-carat fancy intense yellow diamond and a 4.04-carat D-color diamond from the Diavik mine.
The 48 lots will be showcased in London, Australia, Singapore, and Belgium, with bids closing on November 18.
