PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Diversified miner Rio Tinto has unveiled its latest tender from the Argyle diamond mine, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, as the operation nears the end of its life cycle.
The 64-diamond collection includes three Fancy Red diamonds and weighs a combined 56.28 ct.
“I am delighted to be at the Argyle mine for this exclusive world preview. These diamonds, each a natural treasure, are a testament to the enormous range and depth of offering from the Argyle ore body, nearly four decades from when production commenced,” said Rio Tinto copper & diamonds CEO Arnaud Soirat.
“Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine is the first and only ongoing source of rare pink diamonds in history. With the lifecycle of this extraordinary mine approaching its end, we have seen, and continue to see, unstoppable demand for these truly limited-edition diamonds and strong value appreciation.”
Rio last year updated the mineral resource and ore reserve for the Argyle mine, which will underpin the operation until 2020, with opportunities to increase reserve estimates and extend the operational life subject to technical and financial performance.
The 2019 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender collection, titled The Quest for the Absolute” comprises six hero diamonds, including the Argyle Enigma, a 1.75 ct modified radiant fancy red diamond, the Argyle Amari, a 1.48 ct heart shaped fancy vivid purplish pink diamond, the Argyle Elysian, a 1.20 ct modified cushion shaped fancy vivid pink diamond, and the Argyle Verity™, a 1.37 ct oval shaped fancy vivid purplish pink diamond.
The tender also includes the Argyle Opus, a 2.01 ct round shaped fancy intense pink diamond, and the Argyle Avenoir, a 1.07 ct oval shaped fancy red diamond.