Rio Tinto is tendering rare blue diamonds

Rio Tinto is organising a rare showcasing of rare blue diamonds from its Argyle Diamond Mine, in a unique sale known as the ‘Once in a Blue Moon “ collection. Josephine Archer, Sales and Marketing Manager for Argyle Pink Diamonds, said, “We are excited to showcase our first ever collection of precious blue and violet Argyle diamonds, sourced from several years of production at the mine. It is an enchanting collection that will appeal to connoisseurs and collectors alike.”

The “Once in a Blue Moon” collection comprises a range of premium and commercial diamonds and features single cuts, a number of matching pairs and a selection of smaller diamonds. Considering that the Argyle Diamond Mine is estimated to have a production life of only 10 more years, and that the blue diamonds occur only sporadically, the ‘Once in a Blue Moon’ collection is likely to attract considerable attention, both within Australia and overseas. The Argyle Diamond Mine is well known for producing rare pink and champagne diamonds, but these blue diamonds will open the world to the fact that the Mine also produces diamonds of other colours.

The tender is a closed tender and will be showcased in Perth, Hong Kong and Tokyo, prior to bids closing on 8 April 2009.