Rio Tinto Launches Business for Argyle Pinks

RAPAPORT... Rio Tinto has debuted a new strategy that will enable it to "protect the provenance" of its Argyle pink diamonds, including a certification service and a concierge trading platform."This is the start of a new chapter for Argyle pink diamonds, to ensure they maintain their value and investment potential as a finite, unrepeatable natural resource and achieve the status of outstanding heritage diamonds," Rio Tinto Minerals CEO Sinead Kaufman said last week. The venture will also play host to a new Beyond Rare tender platform for special sales events, as well as several strategic collections and collaborations involving existing inventory and the secondary market.One such venture, the Icon Partner program, will give jewelers licensing rights to use the Argyle Pink Diamonds brand for jewelry they create with any remaining inventory they previously purchased from the Argyle mine. The first two retailers Rio Tinto has authorized are John Calleija, the owner of Australian luxury-jewelry house Calleija, and Singapore-based Glajz THG, owned by John Glajz."The secondary market for Argyle pink diamonds comprises almost 40 years of rare, polished pink diamonds, together with heirloom pieces of jewelry, collectibles and objects," the miner noted. "This market requires careful management to preserve the precious provenance of Argyle pink diamonds and continue the legacy of careful custody that underscores its rarity."Image: Diamonds from Rio Tinto's Argyle Pink Diamond Tender. (Rio Tinto)