Pink Diamond

The Argyle Pinks—the Rarest of Them All

The Argyle pink diamonds are some of the most valuable gemstones in the world. But what makes them so special—and worth millions of dollars? Read on for everything you need to know.

Are Argyle pink diamonds a good investment?

Over the past 20 years, the price of Argyle pink diamonds has increased by a whopping 500%. And with the closure of the Argyle mine in Western Australia, this finite piece of natural rock is expected to continue to rise in value. Having one is a good investment—a heritage gemstone that will carry high-profit potential through generations. You can add one to your portfolio from our exclusive Pink Diamond collection.

Are Argyle diamonds valuable?

The Argyle’s mine closure was a loss for the diamond industry. It produced roughly 8,000 carats of some of the world’s rarest diamonds, including the coveted Argyle pink diamonds, each year. Without this supply, it’ll be hard to see even a fraction of it introduced to the market annually. The rare characteristics of Argyle diamonds, coupled with the mine’s closure, make any diamond tacked with its name (which has become a brand in itself) valuable.

How much are Argyle diamonds worth?

Like all diamonds, Argyle diamonds are valued based on the 4Cs: carat, clarity, colour, and cut. That said, prices start at $80,000 per carat, going up to tens of millions of dollars per carat. Argyle pink diamonds can even be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars per carat. For example, the most expensive pink diamond, called the “CTF Pink Star,” weighing 59.6 carats, sold close to $100 million.
You can only buy Argyle pink diamonds at an auction or a diamond exchange, and only a handful of dealers work with such fancy diamonds.

What is the origin of Argyle diamonds?

Argyle diamonds come from the Argyle mine in eastern Kimberley, Western Australia, owned by the Rio Tinto Mining Company. Unfortunately, it closed in 2020 after 37 years in the business.

How rare are Argyle pink diamonds in Australia?

Since opening in 1983, the Argyle mine has supplied the world with more than 865 million carats of natural diamond material. But only 5% of that are gem-quality (the rest are industrial-grade). Of that 5%, 80% are a variation of a brown diamond, 15% are yellow hues, 4% are colourless, and 1% are pink, red, blue, and violet diamonds. The latter ones account for some of the most valuable diamonds on Earth, and they’re so rare that a year’s worth of them can fit in the palm of your hand. Moreover, pink diamonds, specifically, only account for less than 1% of the world’s gemstone production.

What gives pink Argyle diamonds their natural colour?

The rare colour of Argyle pink diamonds is attributed to the Argyle pipe, a volcanic pipe made of olivine lamproite. Due to an eruption, minerals interacted with the diamonds causing distortions in their crystal structure, giving them their natural pink hue.