Rio Tinto to present three fancy red diamonds at Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender

Three fancy red diamonds from Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine ,will be presented by the company at its annual Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender, being an opportunity as the world’s highly exclusive sale of diamonds. This is the first time in the 30-year history of the Argyle Diamond Mine, that the three red diamonds are being presented together in a single tender. The first showing of these rare three diamonds will be in Sydney, and Rio Tinto addresses these three diamonds as the pinnacle of value and ultimate rarity in the diamond industry.

Argyle Pink Diamonds manager Josephine Johnson said, “Since mining began in 1983 only six diamonds certified as Fancy Red by the Gemmological Institute of America have been presented for sale at the annual Tender. To have three of these rare red diamonds in one Tender is a very special moment in time.”

The Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender showcases the best of a year’s production from the Argyle mine in Western Australia. The highlight this year is a 1.56 carat round gem - Argyle Phoenix™ named in honour of the newly commissioned Argyle underground mine. Ms Johnson described the red diamond as being attractive for its ‘intrinsic beauty and unrivalled colour intensity’. The 2013 Tender collection is notable for its unique combination of colours and sizes.

A diamond over 3 carats will feature at the tender for the first time since eight years. The stone is a 3.02 carat Radiant, Fancy Intense Orangy Pink diamond, named Argyle Imperial™ and described as equally unusual is the 0.71 carat blue heart-shaped diamond. The Argyle Celestial™ is expected to be sold with a matching heart-shaped fancy pink diamond from the collection.

The 2013 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender comprises 64 diamonds, including 58 pink diamonds, three fancy red diamonds and three blue diamonds. All 64 diamonds were cut and polished in Western Australia by Rio Tinto's master craftsmen. Six hero diamonds feature in the tender, noted for their unsurpassed beauty and named to mark a permanent record of their contribution in the line of the world’s most important diamonds. Tender viewings will be held in Perth and Hong Kong with previews in Sydney, New York and Tokyo. Bids close on 8 October 2013.