British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has unveiled its final Beyond Rare tender, titled "Into the Light." The private auction of rare colored diamonds will feature 52 lots of diamonds from the company's Argyle mine in Australia and Diavik mine in Canada.
The tender, the third in Rio Tinto's annual Art Series, will feature rare pink, red, violet, yellow, and white diamonds totaling 45.44 carats. Highlights include six "Masterpieces," 39 individual stones, and seven specialty sets. Among them are one GIA Fancy Red diamond, 12 Fancy Violet diamonds, 76 Fancy Pink diamonds, two D-color white diamonds, and a 6.12-carat Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond.
With the closure of the Argyle mine in 2020 and the Diavik mine in 2026, this collection marks the end of an era. According to Patrick Coppens, General Manager of Sales and Marketing for Rio Tinto's Diamond Division, "it is hard to overstate the importance of this final collection from two extraordinary beautiful places on earth—the East Kimberley region of Western Australia and the Northwest Territories of Canada." "No other mining company in the world has custody of such an exquisite collection of diamond colours, shapes and sizes, and we all pay tribute to the men and women who have worked so hard over many years to bring them to market," he noted. 52 lots will be offered in Hong Kong, Australia, and Antwerp, with the auction running until October 20, 2025.
In previous years, Rio Tinto held two more Beyond Rare tenders: in 2023, 87 diamonds in 48 lots were offered for sale. The 2024 private auction featured 76 diamonds in the "Art Series 02" collection.
Hélène Tarin, Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
