22/02/2012
Named the Argyle Pink Jubilee, the huge rough stone was found at Rio's pink diamond operations in the Kimberley region of western Australia and would take 10 days to cut and polish, the miner said on Wednesday.
"This rare diamond is generating incredible excitement. A diamond of this calibre is unprecedented - it has taken 26 years of Argyle production to unearth this stone and we may never see one like this again," said Josephine Johnson from Rio's Argyle Pink Diamonds division.
"The individual who gets to wear this remarkable pink diamond will be incredibly lucky indeed."
The light pink Argyle Jubilee is a similar color to the 24-carat Williamson Pink given to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding gift which was later set into a Cartier brooch for her coronation.
The Williamson was discovered in Tanzania in 1947 and is ranked among the finest pink diamonds in existence.
Rio produces more than 90 percent of the world's pink diamonds from the Argyle mine, and said large stones like the Jubilee typically went to museums, were gifted to royalty or end up at prestigious auction houses like Christie's.
Christie's had only auctioned 18 polished pink diamonds larger than 10 carats in its 244-year history, Rio said.
When the Jubilee diamond has been cut and polished it will be graded by international experts and showcased globally before being sold by invitation-only tender later this year.
Nặng tới gần 13 carat, đây là viên kim cương hồng lớn nhất từng được tìm thấy tại Australia
Được đặt tên là Argyle Pink Jubilee, viên kim cương khổng lồ được tìm thấy khi công ty khai khoáng Rio Tinto đang hoạt động ở vùng Kimberley, bang Western Australia. Công ty này cho biết sẽ mất 10 ngày để cắt và đánh bóng viên kim cương này.
“Một viên kim cương kích cỡ như thế này là chưa từng có tiền lệ. Chúng tôi đã mất 26 năm tìm kiếm mới thấy và có lẽ sẽ không bao giờ tìm thấy một viên như thế này nữa”, người phát ngôn của Rio Tinto cho biết.
Dù chưa thể định giá ngay Jubilee, Rio cho rằng những viên kim cương hồng chất lượng cao có thể có giá trên 1 triệu USD một carat, đồng nghĩa với việc viên này có giá ít nhất 10 triệu USD.
Rio sản xuất hơn 90% lượng kim cương màu trên thế giới từ quặng Argyle, và nói những viên có kích thước như Jubilee thường được đưa vào viện bảo tàng, làm quà tặng cho các gia đình hoàng tộc hoặc đem ra bán đấu giá ở những nhà đấu giá danh tiếng như Christie. Trong 244 năm tồn tại, nhà đấu giá này mới chỉ bán 18 viên kim cương hồng đã đánh bóng có kích thước hơn 10 carat.
(Theo Vietnam+)
Huge pink diamond discovered in Australia
February 22, 2012 - 10:34 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Mining giant Rio Tinto said it has unearthed a "remarkable" 12.76 carat pink diamond in Australia, the largest of the rare and precious stones ever found in the resources-rich nation, AFP reported.Named the Argyle Pink Jubilee, the huge rough stone was found at Rio's pink diamond operations in the Kimberley region of western Australia and would take 10 days to cut and polish, the miner said on Wednesday.
"This rare diamond is generating incredible excitement. A diamond of this calibre is unprecedented - it has taken 26 years of Argyle production to unearth this stone and we may never see one like this again," said Josephine Johnson from Rio's Argyle Pink Diamonds division.
"The individual who gets to wear this remarkable pink diamond will be incredibly lucky indeed."
The light pink Argyle Jubilee is a similar color to the 24-carat Williamson Pink given to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding gift which was later set into a Cartier brooch for her coronation.
The Williamson was discovered in Tanzania in 1947 and is ranked among the finest pink diamonds in existence.
Rio produces more than 90 percent of the world's pink diamonds from the Argyle mine, and said large stones like the Jubilee typically went to museums, were gifted to royalty or end up at prestigious auction houses like Christie's.
Christie's had only auctioned 18 polished pink diamonds larger than 10 carats in its 244-year history, Rio said.
When the Jubilee diamond has been cut and polished it will be graded by international experts and showcased globally before being sold by invitation-only tender later this year.
The real Pink Panther: Australia’s largest rosy diamond is discovered
Pink diamonds are one of the most valuable jewels in the world – and now Rio Tinto miners in Australia have unearthed the biggest ever found in the country.
The company’s Argyle mine, situated in the Kimberly region, produces a staggering 90 per cent of the world’s pink diamonds and is describing this example as ‘unprecedented’.
It has named the 12.76-carat jewel the Argyle Pink Jubilee and the bookies believe it may fetch between £20 and £25million at auction.
Rock on: The gem was found at Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine in the east Kimberley region of Western Australia‘A diamond of this calibre is unprecedented – it has taken 26 years of Argyle production to unearth this stone, and we may never see one like this again,’ said Argyle Pink Diamonds Manager Josephine Johnson in a statement.
Pink diamonds were celebrated in the Pink Panther series of movies. The title refers to a jewel in which the shape of a panther can be seen in it when it’s held up to the light in a certain way.
This real life version will be kept safe and secure from cat burglars while it is cut and polished before being sold during Rio Tinto’s annual Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender later this year.
Shining example: The Argyle Pink Jubilee diamond with a smaller Argyle pink diamond in the background
Sotheby’s Asia department head of jewellery, Chin Yeow Quek, told CNN: ‘It is hard to judge a stone in the rough. It really depends on how large the rock will be polished downed to. It also depends on the [intensity of] colour and clarity.’
He explained that some diamonds lose around 50 per cent of their size during the polishing process.
Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes, meanwhile, said: ‘It’s odds-on whoever stumps up for the mega-rock will be worth a few quid.’
The record for the most money ever spent on a jewel stands at £29million, paid for a rare pink diamond in 2010.
It weighed 24.78 carats and was bought by the British billionaire jeweller Laurence Graff, 72.
Dubbed ‘The King of Bling’ – Mr Graff said that he had bought the gem for himself and immediately named it ‘The Graff Pink’.
He paid nearly double the previous record which was for the 17th century stone the ‘Wittelsbach’ blue diamond two years ago. Mr Graff was the buyer on that occasion, too.
‘It is the most fabulous diamond I’ve seen in the history of my career and I’m delighted to have bought it,’ said Graff, who left school at 14 to work in London’s East End and now resides in the Swiss resort of Gstaad.
By TED THORNHILL http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2104896/The-real-Pink-Panther-Australias-largest-rosy-diamond-discovered.html
The company’s Argyle mine, situated in the Kimberly region, produces a staggering 90 per cent of the world’s pink diamonds and is describing this example as ‘unprecedented’.
It has named the 12.76-carat jewel the Argyle Pink Jubilee and the bookies believe it may fetch between £20 and £25million at auction.
Rock on: The gem was found at Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine in the east Kimberley region of Western AustraliaPink diamonds were celebrated in the Pink Panther series of movies. The title refers to a jewel in which the shape of a panther can be seen in it when it’s held up to the light in a certain way.
This real life version will be kept safe and secure from cat burglars while it is cut and polished before being sold during Rio Tinto’s annual Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender later this year.
Shining example: The Argyle Pink Jubilee diamond with a smaller Argyle pink diamond in the background
How much if fetches depends on how much is hewn off it during the polishing process.
Sotheby’s Asia department head of jewellery, Chin Yeow Quek, told CNN: ‘It is hard to judge a stone in the rough. It really depends on how large the rock will be polished downed to. It also depends on the [intensity of] colour and clarity.’
He explained that some diamonds lose around 50 per cent of their size during the polishing process.
Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes, meanwhile, said: ‘It’s odds-on whoever stumps up for the mega-rock will be worth a few quid.’
The record for the most money ever spent on a jewel stands at £29million, paid for a rare pink diamond in 2010.
It weighed 24.78 carats and was bought by the British billionaire jeweller Laurence Graff, 72.
Dubbed ‘The King of Bling’ – Mr Graff said that he had bought the gem for himself and immediately named it ‘The Graff Pink’.
He paid nearly double the previous record which was for the 17th century stone the ‘Wittelsbach’ blue diamond two years ago. Mr Graff was the buyer on that occasion, too.
‘It is the most fabulous diamond I’ve seen in the history of my career and I’m delighted to have bought it,’ said Graff, who left school at 14 to work in London’s East End and now resides in the Swiss resort of Gstaad.
By TED THORNHILL http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2104896/The-real-Pink-Panther-Australias-largest-rosy-diamond-discovered.html
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