Strong Demand at Argyle Pink Tender

Rio Tinto Diamonds closed its Argyle pink diamond tender this past week, reporting strong Asian demand and continued price appreciation for the rare gems. The collection of 55 stones mined at the Argyle mine in Australia were cut and polished in-house by Rio Tinto’s polishers in Western Australia. The collection included a record 11 heart-shaped stones, which generated strong interest, particularly from Australian and Asian bidders, according to Josephine Archer, the manager of Argyle Pink Diamonds. Rio Tinto reported that bidders in Japan found considerable success in the tender, including the acquisition of the Argyle Alanya, an oval-shaped, 1.06-carat, fancy vivid purplish-pink diamond.