Diamonds are a marvel of nature formed over billions of years.
They begin as carbon atoms that crystallize under severe pressure and extremely high temperatures deep below the surface layers of the world.
Then, as magma forms and forces them out, they emerge on the surface.
Diamonds are considered as one of the toughest and rarest objects in the world with their beauty unparalleled to any other object.
But the colored diamond phenomena are on another level — their beauty is beyond what words can describe.
The reason behind the peculiarity of colored gems is the impurities that get trapped in the crystal and bring about their remarkable state. For example:
- A diamond with Nitrogen results in an astonishing yellow-colored crystal.
- A diamond exposed to radioactive radiations from Uranium adopts green color.
- A diamond that traps Boron will come out in blueish shade.
The Argyle Diamond Phenomena is one treasure beyond these impurities.
The Argyle Diamond Mine
Humans have led many expeditions in search of colored diamonds.
In 1979, during one of these voyages in Australia, geologists discovered the Argyle Diamond Mine in a rugged landscape of Kimberly. From this mine, 12 million carats of diamonds are extracted every year.
The company named Rio Tinto, famous for extracting Argyle diamonds continuously for 37 years, began its operations in Argyle in 1983 till its closure in 2020.
In the course of operations, the mine yielded around 850 million carats of diamonds. Roughly 80% of those were low-quality brown diamonds. The truly mesmerizing merely 5%.
So, the question arises, why is it one of the most celebrated mines when the majority of Argyle’s diamonds are of inferior quality?
The answer to this question is the top 5% of Argyle’s treasures are a sight to behold and worth their fame. They are found in the following composition:
- White Diamonds (2%)
- Grey Diamonds (2%)
- Pink diamonds (1%)
- Once in a blue moon, a blue diamond appears.
Amongst all these wonderful gems, it the one percent Pink Diamonds that make the strongest impact in the entire diamond industry.
The One Percent
All colored diamonds are priceless but this one percent of Argyle’s output can easily be the most prized addition to a collector for it ignites the symbol of grace, romance, and luxury.
Pink Diamonds are the rarest form of diamonds making them extremely valuable; a graded Pink diamond from Argyle can cost 20 times the price of its identical in white color.
Although this one percent appears to be an insignificant amount, 90% of pink diamonds are supplied to the world from Argyle. Making Rio Tinto the largest supplier of the following categories of Pink Diamonds found on earth in ascending order of color intensity:
- Faint Pink Diamonds
- Fancy Pink Diamonds
- Fancy Intense Pink Diamonds
- Fancy Vivid Pink Diamonds
- Fancy Deep Pink Diamonds
Unlike other shades of diamonds, it is still a mystery, how the pink diamonds get their color because of their near perfection as an element without any traces of impurities.
So, it has been hypothesized that these diamonds get their color from the extreme levels of pressure and heat that deform the crystal lattice emitting the pink hue when the light is absorbed through the flawed lattice.
The Invisible Hand
According to the economic theory, the invisible hand, the Pink Diamonds are a priced jewel because only 500 of these are expected to be discovered.
The rest of the discovered pink diamonds amount to only 0.001% of entire diamonds in the market. Moreover, Argyle’s closure has further contracted the supply of these precious gems to a near end.
When the supply is facing a near halt, the demand for these fascinating phenomenal stones has skyrocketed the prices of the Pink Diamond per carat somewhere between $100,000 up to $1 million depending on their 4 Cs.
- Cut: The round brilliant cut is the most expensive shape of a diamond.
- Color: The brightness and depth of its shade.
- Clarity: The purity of diamond from any visible inclusion or blemishes.
- Carat: The weight that each stone carries the higher per carat value it holds.
The theory can be affirmed with the hands-on example of annual tendered auctions where only about 50 carats of pink diamonds are offered to countless buyers who fight teeth and nail to get their hands on the Fancy Deep Pink Diamond due to its color intensity which can easily outprice an ultra-rare blue diamond in an auction.
The Future and History Of Argyle’s Phenomena
Through space and time, human beings have always admired sparkly objects and attributed their beauty to divinity. Some subjected diamonds as a symbol of power and nobility like the British and the Mughals and the Persians. Others believed that diamonds hold supernatural properties like healing or talismanic power which brought good fortune.
The modern-day humans may not believe in mystic powers or the nobility that argyle diamonds reflect one thing that has not changed through times is that humans still admire pink diamonds for their spellbinding appeal and will continue to propose their loved ones with a sparkling diamond on a beautiful ring.
With Argyle finally closed after 37 years, the opportunists have already put their eggs in this pink basket which is expected to yield great returns to investments. The explorers and passionates have aligned their interests to rehabilitate the land and handed it back to the natives.
Lastly, the Argyle phenomena have also triggered a wave of innovation in the diamond industry to adopt more sustainable and efficient methods of diamond expeditions and mining by employing new technology in the search for diamond filled terrain in hostile landscapes of Kimberleys.
Become A Part Of The Argyle Phenomena
Boasting a rich history and carrying a sense of unique beauty, Argyle diamonds are a reflection of all that is precious in the world.
With the mine closing, all those a part of the Argyle phenomena are on an exclusive list.
If you too want to join this tradition of rare diamonds, become an owner of the highest quality of Argyle diamonds!
