Diamonds

Diamonds often mark our most unique and important moments, helping us to celebrate the best things in life. 

Diamonds preceded human life on Earth, and even dinosaurs. Most diamonds originated in the depths of Earth’s mantle between 1-3 billion years ago. These precious stones found their way to the surface through a series of volcanic eruptions occurring 300-400 million years ago. 

Rio Tinto Diamonds

Forty years ago, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, after a decade of searching an area the size of France, two of our geologists – Frank Hughes and Warren Atkinson – saw a small diamond embedded in an ant hill. What those ants had found was one of the richest diamond deposits the world had ever seen. After years of hard work sampling creeks and rivers, following clues in the endless, remote Australian outback, Hughes and Atkinson were standing on top of the pipe that would become the Argyle diamond mine. 

Today, our white and coloured diamonds are some of the world’s most sought-after gems. In November 2020, mining ceased at Argyle, after 37 years of operations and producing more than 865 million carats of rough diamonds. We are committed to respectfully closing and rehabilitating the mine and returning the land to its traditional custodians.

We produce the full spectrum of diamonds in terms of qualities, sizes and colours. Our Diavik mine, for example, produces a high proportion of large, white, gem-quality diamonds, traditionally associated with engagement rings, luxury jewellery and collector pieces. Our Argyle mine, by contrast, produced predominantly small, coloured stones of diverse quality – generally destined for the more affordable fashion jewellery market – as well as the rare and highly prized pink diamonds sought after by high-end collectors, designers and diamond connoisseurs. After running for almost 40 years, the annual Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender – which features a carefully curated catalogue of the finest gems from Argyle and an exclusive, invitation-only clientele – will end in 2021.

Our diamonds are not just rare and beautiful – they have an honourable pedigree. We want our customers to be confident that the journey their diamond makes from the mine to the market is a worthy one: that landscapes and cultures are treated respectfully, local communities prosper; safe and fair working conditions are provided and that we deal transparently with our industry partners.

We have partnered with leading international organisations to ensure the integrity and reliability of the wider diamond industry too. We were a founding member and the first mining company to be certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council, which promotes responsible, ethical, social and environmental practices throughout the diamond, gold and platinum jewellery supply chain. 

And we have taken an active leadership role in the World Diamond Council, which represents the diamond industry in the Kimberley Process and has established a mechanism for guaranteeing to consumers that diamonds are conflict free.

We were also a founding member of the Natural Diamond Council, the first organisation to represent diamond producers at an international level. The Natural Diamond Council supports the development of the diamond sector and works to maintain and improve consumer confidence in diamonds.