JEWELLERY
In the
PINK
Pink diamonds are more sought-after than ever, and London’s jewellers have their hands on them, writes Oonagh Turner
F
or nearly two decades, an annual invitation-only event has attracted diamond enthusiasts, connoisseurs, and luxury jewellery houses from across the world. The exclusive event showcases the crème de la crème of pink diamonds, from the Argyle mine in Western Australia which sources 90 per cent of the world’s pink diamonds. To qualify for this prestigious event, the
pink diamonds are evaluated after the gem is cut, polished and assessed for hue, saturation and colour, before being certified by two grading specialists. The showcase represents the rarest of the rare, and it would take 15 years to accumulate enough to fill a single Champagne flute. The 4th October marks the very final Argyle Tender after mining ceased at Argyle in November 2020. “It’s an extremely important event in the history of diamonds,” comments founder and creative director of Calleija, John Calleija, of the very few Jewellers in the world that is approved to be an Argyle Diamonds Select Atelier. “Random lightcoloured pink diamonds surface from time to time from different mines around the world, but it is very uncommon. No other mine has produced the consistent quantities and quality that Argyle has and it’s highly unlikely we will experience a discovery like this again,” says Calleija. “It takes decades of research to discover the right environment that actually possesses diamonds, and it takes years of investigation to ensure the diamond mine will be prepared for recovery.” The London Magazine 21
