Argyle pink diamonds in a unique exhibition at Kensington Palace
Jewellery News Asia
Rio Tinto’s rare Argyle pink diamonds were presented in a unique exhibition at Kensington Palace on October 9. Titled "Out of the Vault: Pink Diamonds and Royalty," the exhibition featured more than $60 million-worth of pink diamond jewellery, the diamond miner said.
The inspiration for the pink diamond jewellery exhibition came from Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The Queen had a solitaire pink diamond, gifted to her (The Williamson Pink) and set in the centre of a flower spray brooch created by Cartier, in the year of her coronation.
"We therefore consider it fitting in this Jubilee year, for Argyle pink diamonds to celebrate the special relationship that rare pink diamonds have played, and continue to play, in royal occasions," said Josephine Johnson, manager of Argyle Pink Diamonds.
Throughout history, the pink diamond has always been treasured by kings and emperors, princes and potentates, for its nobility, rarity and sheer beauty. Pink diamond production, however, had always been sporadic and it was not until the discovery of the Argyle Diamond Mine in 1979, that there was a regular, albeit, very small supply of pink diamonds of a colour and vibrancy never seen before.
According to jewellery historian, Vivienne Becker, "Over the past 25 years, the diamond industry has come to understand and appreciate the momentous nature of the Argyle diamond mine discovery, the compelling and mysterious beauty of the Argyle pink diamond and its place in the story of jewellery. The Argyle pink diamond has become today’s ultimate possession, an incomparable object of desire that has captured the imagination of connoisseurs and collectors around the globe."
The 40 rare and valuable items of pink diamond jewellery on display at Kensington Palace are sourced from luxury jewellers and designers from the US, Australia, Japan, China, India and Europe. The jewellery pieces are a demonstration of the versatility, variety and vibrancy of style generated by Argyle pink diamonds, and their incredible reach over the past 25 years.