The tender, dubbed the “Red Edition” due to the inclusion of three rare red diamonds – a first for the sale’s 30-year history – comprised a total of 64 pink, red and blue diamonds, ranging in size from 0.20 carats to 3.02 carats.
The “hero” of the collection, a 1.56-carat round gemstone named Argyle Phoenix, in honour of the newly-commissioned Argyle underground mine, achieved the highest per-carat price for a diamond ever produced from the Argyle mine.
Furthermore, Argyle Dauphine, a 2.51-carat fancy deep pink diamond, broke the record for the highest price paid for an Argyle diamond in overall value terms. The price also broke a world record for the highest price paid for a fancy deep pink diamond.
All the stones in the 2013 tender sold “well above pre-tender estimates” and both established and emerging markets were said to be well represented in the winning bids.
While a spokesperson for Rio Tinto said they were unable to disclose the exact amount paid for each diamond, there were reportedly a record number of bids that reached more than US$1 million (AU$1.04 million) and some bids for a single stone that exceeded US$2 million (AU$2.08 million).
Every year, the mining company holds a tender that incorporates the “best” stones from a year’s production at its Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia.
The Argyle Diamond Mine produces more than 90 per cent of the world's pink diamonds, which are sold globally in a broad range of colours and sizes.
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