SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!
Need Help? Call 800-421-0200
  • MY ACCOUNT
  • COMPANY
  • BLOG
  • LOGIN

Jewelry Factory - North Hollywood, CA

Build your Custom Jewelry
  • No products in cart.
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Police & Fire Dept. Jewelry
  • Engagement & Wedding
  • Motorsports Jewelry
  • Jewelry Cleaning
  • Categories
  • Cart
  • Home
  • Uncategorized
  • Argyle Mine’s 37-Year Odyssey Started With a Few Pink Diamonds Atop an Anthill
 
Howard
Tuesday, 10 November 2020 / Published in Uncategorized

Argyle Mine’s 37-Year Odyssey Started With a Few Pink Diamonds Atop an Anthill

Back in 1979, the diamond industry was changed forever when the first Argyle Pinks were discovered atop an anthill in the Kimberley wilderness of Western Australia. You see, while excavating underground passages, ants famously bring unwanted obstacles to the surface. In this case, their painstaking work signaled that the anthill sat above a pipe of diamond-rich ore.

And so began an improbable 37-year odyssey that would see the Argyle mine generate more than 865 million carats of rough diamonds and become the world’s largest producer of colored diamonds.

Having exhausted its reserves, Rio Tinto shuttered its Argyle mining operations last Tuesday. Argyle employees, executives and local stakeholders attending a special event to mark the mine's formal transition from operational to under closure.

The Argyle mine had been the world's only consistent source of rare pink diamonds, accounting for more than 90% of the supply. Prior to the 1980s, pink diamonds had trickled into the market sporadically from India, Brazil, Africa and Indonesia.

“Fifty years ago, there were very few people who believed there were diamonds in Australia – even fewer could have foreseen how the Argyle story would unfold,” said Arnaud Soirat, Rio Tinto’s chief executive of Copper & Diamonds. “To arrive at this final chapter has required vision, courage and determination to overcome significant challenges to enter new territory in diamond exploration, mining and marketing."

According to Rio Tinto, the Argyle ore body — a single pipe known as AK1— was discovered in October 1979. Alluvial operations began in 1983, open pit mining began in 1985 and the mine became a fully underground operation in 2013. At its peak production, the mine was producing 40% of the world's diamond output by volume.

“This is a historic day for the Argyle mine and the east Kimberley region, and a great source of pride for this unique Australian success story,” noted Andrew Wilson, general manager of the Argyle mine. “A new chapter will now begin as we start the process of respectfully closing the Argyle mine and rehabilitating the land, to be handed back to its traditional custodians.”

That process is schedule to take about five years.

Credits: Images courtesy of Rio Tinto.

What you can read next

Copper-Flecked Inclusions Give Oregon Sunstones Their Unique ‘Schiller’
Univ. of Hong Kong Scientists Develop ‘Hunter Drone’ That Can Seek Out Gem Deposits
Dazzling Diamond and Rock Crystal Bracelet May Fetch $8.4MM at Sotheby’s HK

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Music Friday: Ava Max Sings, ‘Diamonds and Dance Floors, That’s All I Want’

    0 comments
  • Radiologists Use CT Scans to ‘Digitally Unwrap’ Egypt’s Mummified ‘Golden Boy’

    0 comments
  • NRF Survey: Americans to Spend $5.5B on Jewelry Gifts for Valentine’s Day

    0 comments
  • Modern-Day Explorers Look to Asteroids in Deep Space for Platinum Riches

    0 comments
  • Quiz: What Do Kim Kardashian and Princess Diana Have In Common?

    0 comments

NEWSLETTER

Stau updated with our latest offers.

CUSTOMER

  • Shipping
  • 30 Day Return Policy
  • Blog

COMPANY

  • About Us
  • Police & Fire Dept.
  • Engagement & Wedding

FEEDBACK

We would like to hear from you with any feedback about our website or products.

SUBMIT YOUR FEEDBACK

FOLLOW US

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
© 2019 Jewelry Factory | All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Police & Fire Dept.
  • Engagement & Wedding
TOP