Rio Tinto has set up what it called a ''Specials Tender'' to showcase rough diamonds greater than 10.8 carats from a year’s production from its diamond mines.
The London-listed miner had diamond operations in Australia, Canada and Zimbabwe.
It said in a statement posted on its website that the collection would comprise of 94 lots of diamonds with wide array of colors and shapes, including 26 diamonds greater than 20 carats each.
These would be available for preview in Antwerp throughout the first half of October.
“Headlining this Specials Tender, a rare 24.15-carat white diamond from the Argyle diamond mine -The Argyle Athena- was named for the Roman goddess and son of Zeus, and was unearthed from Rio Tinto's Australian mine earlier this year,” the company said. “The collection of Argyle Specials also includes a 15.40-carat yellow gem and a 20.19-carat cognac diamond.”
Rio also said that its Murowa Diamonds in Zimbabwe would likely contribute the highest value of Specials of the three mines.
With a unique combination of colours, sizes and qualities, the Murowa "Specials" included a 35.41 carat fancy yellow coloured diamond, Helios, named after the Greek Titan of the Sun.
The Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada complemented the collection with a 22.53 carat diamond, Diavik Selene, an extraordinary white gem named after the Titan goddess of the Moon.
“This Specials Tender showcases the unique portfolio of Rio Tinto’s diamonds from a beautiful array of natural fancy colored diamonds through to magnificent white crystals, and everything in between,” said for Rio Tinto Diamonds general manager of sales Patrick Coppens.
Rio Tinto was the only mining company that sells its diamonds by mine and country of origin.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
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