As the era of the Argyle Mine draws to a close, ARABELLA RODEN explores the compelling history and enduring legacy of the worldu2019s premier source of pink diamonds.
The colour pink is associated with many things u2013 beauty, love, and femininity, to name a few. And so too are pink diamonds, which in addition to their captivating colour, are also some of the rarest treasures on Earth.
There is no way to discuss the pink diamond category without the Argyle Mine. Discovered in 1979 and operational since the mid-1980s, the Rio Tinto owned-and-operated site u2013 located 550km southwest of Darwin, in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia u2013 produced 90 to 95 per cent of the worldu2019s pink and red diamonds before its closure in November 2020.