For every 500 or more pink diamonds unearthed, only one would emerge as violet. And of all the violets discovered, less than five per cent are considered fully-saturated violets, and classified as BL3, the deepest violet classification.

2.83-carat Argyle Violet Diamond – Source: LJ West

Larry West, President, L.J. West Diamonds

9.13-carat rough to 2.83-carat Argyle Violet Diamond – Source: LJ West

2.83-carat Argyle Violet – Source: LJ West

BRWBL1

B185

E391BL

The 2.83-carat Argyle Violet is the largest and most valuable violet diamond recovered to date from the Argyle mine and is a diamond of historic significance in size, colour and clarity. It's GIA certified as Fancy Deep Greyish Bluish Violet.

The 2.83-carat Argyle Violet is the largest and most valuable violet diamond recovered to date from the Argyle mine and is a diamond of historic significance in size, colour and clarity. It's GIA certified as Fancy Deep Greyish Bluish Violet.

Blue Violet Diamond Colour Classifications

The 9.17-carat Argyle violet rough is the largest of its colour found to date. It took more than 80 to unlock the single band of saturated violet running through the heart of the stone. The resulting 2.83-carat oval is the only violet diamond of this colour in the history of the Argyle Tenders.

GIA Colour Wheel - Green-Blue to Purplish-Red

Earrings

Bracelet

Argyle Violet Diamond – Source: LJ West

Rabbit

Argyle Violet Diamond – From rough to polished final stone.

Larry West, President, LJ West Diamonds

Argyle Violet and Pink Rough Diamonds – Source: LJ West

Vivienne Becker, historian and jewellery expert

Thomas Gelb, gemmologist and CEO of Diamond Durability Laboratory

Violets have distinctive fluorescence colours under UV, particularly the short-wave reaction (right) that would normally be weak for most natural diamonds. Image: Delta Labs / Gemetrix

Argyle Blue/Pink Flower ring