Rio Tinto launched its annual Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender in New York, a market for exceptional fancy-coloured diamonds. The tender offers 54 extremely rare red and pink diamonds, chosen on the theme of rare and beautiful birds from around the world. A suite of four Fancy Red diamonds highlight this tender, including a spectacular 1.21 carat radiant cut Fancy Red diamond, Argyle Cardinal™, named after the small red northern American bird.

Only nine Fancy Red diamonds have been included in the Tender since the inaugural event in 1984. Other diamonds showcased in the collection include the Argyle Rosette™, a 2.17 carat Fancy Intense Purple-Pink emerald cut diamond and the Argyle Toki™, a 1.59 carat Fancy Intense Purplish Pink emerald cut diamond.

This is the 30th year of the Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender, growing in repute as one of the most anticipated diamond sales in the world. Rio Tinto Diamonds and Minerals Chief executive Alan Davies said “Over the past 30 years the US has played an important role in the development of the market for Argyle’s unique diamonds and we are delighted to be back in New York with this year’s Tender collection. Global interest is intense as our rare pink and red diamonds command the attention of the world’s diamond connoisseurs, collectors and investors.”

Less than one per cent of the world’s 140 million carats of diamonds are pink and more than 90 per cent of them are from Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia. After the Tender viewings in New York, the an exclusive viewing is slated in Hong Kong before bids close on 8 October 2014.