Mills Jewelers Notebook
July 2nd, 2015
Four ultra-rare fancy red diamonds are among the 65 diamonds in the 2015 edition of the Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender, an annual presentation by mining company Rio Tinto. A world exclusive preview took place last week at the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

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Rio Tinto designated the top five diamonds of the tender as “heroes” and gave the stones elegant names to ensure their rightful place among the world’s most important diamonds. The names were inspired by the world of ballet in recognition of Argyle Pink Diamonds' partnership with The Australian Ballet.

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The 2015 Tender, known as the “Connoisseur’s Collection,” comprises 65 diamonds weighing a total of 44.14 carats. The diamonds, which were sourced at Rio Tinto’s Argyle Mine in Western Australia, represent the company’s best red and pink gems from its yearly production.

Fancy red diamonds are so rare that the Tender typically releases only four, or so, per year. The finest quality fancy red diamonds can easily sell for $1 million or more per carat.

“This collection is one of the most beautiful in the history of the Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender,” said Rio Tinto Diamonds & Minerals chief executive Alan Davies. “This year’s Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender is testament to this extraordinary mine that continues to produce the world’s most-sought-after gems.”

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Rio Tinto bestowed the following names on it finest offerings…

Argyle Prima™ — A 1.20-carat fancy red pear-shaped diamond coveted for its unique combination of size, shape, color and clarity.

Argyle Aurora™ — A 1.47-carat fancy red oval-shaped diamond, named in honor of Princess Aurora from The Sleeping Beauty.

Argyle Allegro™ — A 0.79-carat fancy red radiant-shaped diamond, named after the brisk and lively ballet movement and reminiscent of the red color dancing within this diamond.

Argyle Spectre™ — A 1.93-carat fancy vivid purplish pink shield-shaped diamond. The vibrant pink color and strong shape of this diamond is inspired by the ballet Le Spectre de la rose (The Spirit of the Rose).

Argyle Élevé™ — A 1.44-carat fancy intense pink emerald-shaped diamond, inspired by the ballet movement of rising high without bending, and reflecting of the perfect long lines and elegance of the emerald shape.

It is believed that red diamonds get their rich color from a molecular structure distortion that occurs as the jewel forms in the earth’s crust. By contrast, other colored diamonds get their color from trace elements, such as boron (yielding a blue diamond) or nitrogen (yielding yellow), in their chemical composition.

The 2015 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender will have viewings in Sydney, Hong Kong, New York and Perth, with bids closing on October 21, 2015.

Images courtesy of Rio Tinto.