Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.
The rarest diamonds in the world have just been acquired by one of the world’s beloved jewelers
Pink diamonds have enjoyed a long history of adorning the hands of some of the world’s biggest celebrities. It was Jennifer Lopez’s engagement ring when Ben Affleck first proposed to her in 2002. Mariah Carey, Blake Lively, Victoria Beckham, Anna Kournikova have each received a pink diamond ring as a gift from their partners as well. The demand for pink diamond jewelry has increased over the years because of this, but the last of pink diamonds have already been mined—and an especially curated collection is now owned by Tiffany & Co.
Over 37 years, Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine is known to have produced 90 percent of the world’s pink diamonds; however, this is less than one percent of the gemstones mined beneath the expansive lands of East Kimberly region in Western Australia through the years. By the end of its operations, Argyle had produced over 865 million carats of rough diamonds.
Argyle pink diamonds are one of the rarest types of colored diamonds in the world. What makes it so rare is that it takes an extreme amount of pressure and extreme temperatures, followed by a sudden change in environment for the diamond’s chemical makeup to be altered, giving it its pink color. Almost exclusively mined in Argyle Diamond Mine, these diamonds have become even harder to find since all mining activity ceased there in November 2020.
Despite its closure, it has kept a small cache of the pink diamonds unearthed during its final mining period. The bespoke curation of rare gemstones will be showcased by Tiffany & Co. in an eponymously named collection, the Argyle Pink Diamonds.
Tiffany gained custody of the precious gemstones when Argyle approached them early 2022 to offer the curated collection. Thirty five pieces comprise the collection, 32 of which are ranging from 0.30 to 0.70 carats, and three that are over one carat in size. They showcase the Argyle pink diamonds’ range, from intense and vivid pinks to purplish pinks, deep pinks, and the rarest kind of diamond: a Fancy Red.
While this is not the first time Argyle has collaborated with other jewelers, it is the first time that the mine has curated a collection of this size, quality or color for any jeweler. They chose Tiffany to partner with for this collection because of their shared emphasis on the importance of diamond provenance.
“We are delighted that this collection of rare Argyle Pink Diamonds, with their extraordinary Australian provenance and a story that began one and a half billion years ago, are now entrusted to the unrivaled craftsmanship of Tiffany & Co.,” says Sinead Kaufman, chief executive of Rio Tinto Minerals in a release.
“Not only are they incredibly rare, but these diamonds also align perfectly with our Diamond Craft Journey initiative, whereby we provide our clients information on the provenance—or the region or countries of origin—for every newly sourced, individually registered diamond that we set in jewelry,” says Tiffany & Co. chief gemologist Victoria Wirth Reynolds.
Over the years, diamond provenance has become an important aspect of diamond acquisitions. Tracing diamond provenance means being able to confirm they have been sourced responsibly, and that the local communities from which the pieces are sourced are not impacted negatively.
Tiffany & Co. will be showcasing the rare collection in select events beginning early spring 2023.
