Among the hero diamonds is the largest fancy round stone in the history of the tender, a 2.24-carat rich lilac-pink piece called Argyle Eternity.
With the Argyle field due to close at the end of this year or early next year, the current tender is considered the penultimate one of its kind. As you know, over 35 years of operation, the mine produced from 90% to 95% of the world’s volume of pink and red diamonds.
The Argyle mine, owned by Rio Tinto, is the world’s first and only consistent source of rare pink, red and purple diamonds. We have seen and continue to see strong demand for these coveted stones, which, together with an extremely limited global supply, is supporting a significant appreciation in the value of Argyle pink diamonds.
Arnaud Soira, Executive Director of Copper and Diamonds Rio Tinto
The 2020 tender is called “One Life, One Meeting” and includes 62 diamonds with a total weight of 57.23 carats. According to Rio Tinto, six “hero” diamonds have been selected for their unique beauty and named to reflect their contribution and value among the world’s most important diamonds:
Lot 1: Argyle Eternity
2.24 carat Fancy Vibrant Lilac Pink Round Diamond.
Lot 2: Argyle Ethereal
A 2.45 carat square diamond in a fancy intense lilac pink shade.
Lot 3: Argyle Sakura
A 1.84-carat fancy pear-shaped bright purplish pink diamond.
Lot 4: Argyle Emrys
0.43 carat Fancy Dark Greyish Violet Blue Diamond in Princess Cut.
Lot 5: Argyle Skylar
Fancy dark grey-violet heart-shaped diamond weighing 0.33 carats.
Lot 6: Argyle Infinite
Fancy Dark Violet-Grey oval shaped diamond weighing 0.70 carats.
Also included in the 2020 tender were 13 carefully selected pink, red, blue and purple diamonds with a total weight of 13.90 carats. Called The Petite Suites, these collectible stones have been assembled over the course of five years and show a harmonious combination of size, shape, color and clarity.
In-person screenings will take place later this year at the Argyle mine, as well as in Perth, Singapore and Antwerp. Bidding will end on December 2, 2020. Rio Tinto’s final tender is expected to take place in 2021, after the closure of the famous mine.