How Argyle Changed The Diamond Industry

Large Argyle Mine Certified Diamond
By Rob Bates

Last year, Australiau2019s Argyle diamond mine closed after 37 years of operation. This month, Melbourne University Publishing released Argyle: The Impossible Story of Australian Diamonds, a comprehensive history of the mine by Stuart Kells.

Here, Kells (pictured), a writer and adjunct professor at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, talks with JCK about the mineu2019s origins, why its impact is still felt today, and his favorite stories from its 37-year history.

JCK: A lot of diamond mines come about based on one personu2019s lone quest. Was that the case with Argyle?