They are referring to what was once the biggest diamond mine in this country.

Ninety per cent of the World’s pink diamonds originated from the now decommissioned Argyle Mine in the Kimberly Region of Western Australia. After the discovery of diamonds in 1979, the mine was opened in 1983. It operated for 37 years and closed in November 2020.

Yes, they are a rare stone. Only 0.1 per cent of the Argyle mine’s operations produced pink diamonds, yet it unearthed over 90% of the world’s supply at its peak.

If you are told that the only way that you can ensure that a pink diamond came from the Argyle Mine is a Certificate Of Authenticity, and we’ve read plenty of websites that claim this, it is simply not true.

The provenance of a stone, meaning where it was unearthed, can be proven. Some stones will come with a certificate from the mine, some will come with a certificate a business had printed themselves, some with both.

Others, like ours, will come with a certificate from one of the two labs in Australia that can test the stone to determine exactly where the stone came from.

Read on, this is where it gets interesting.

The Argyle Mine was opened in 1983. For 22 years they were unearthing pink diamonds that did not come with inscriptions or certificates. Then, for stones over 0.20cts, they started inscribing and issuing certificates, another 4 years later they started doing so for stones over 0.15cts, and a further 7 years after that they started including stones over 0.08cts. 

In other words, pink diamonds came out of the Argyle Mine for decades that had no inscription and no certificate.

Here is the exact timeline:

In late 2004 they started laser inscribing the girdle of polished pink stones that were over 0.20 carats.

In January 2005 they began issuing certificates with their inscribed stones.

In January 2009 this then expanded to stones weighing 0.15cts and over.

In December 2016 until the closure of the mine, this expanded to stones weighing 0.08cts and over.

The stone can be identified by the details on the report we provide. It is extremely detailed, it has a photograph taken under microscope, and a Lab Reference Number that is kept on file.

Should you want the stone laser inscribed, there is no shortage of businesses who would be willing to do that for you.

That’s something you could arrange yourself after buying the stone. It’s all yours, write whatever takes your fancy on it if an inscription is important to you.

Well this is where internet research gets incredibly messy.

Our view is a very simple one, we’re not marketing experts or investment gurus. We’re jewellers.

If we were to see two stones sourced from the same mine with identical specifications side by side, then what we see is two stones of the same value. They are the same.

This won’t change when in 100 years time, because we’d hope your purchase would become an heirloom, it will be valued according to its specifications and providence. Not long lost packaging and associated marketing. To us, it’s literally set in stone. The stone is what the stone is.

Sure, one could have cost more than the other, but we’re talking about actual value, not price tags, prices can be set in mysterious ways.

Remember that what you are buying is a specific diamond, a rare stone, and something that in its own right is very special indeed. We see no need to send it off to be wrapped up in packaging, it’s an additional expense that we have to pass on to our customer. The diamond is amazing as it is.

If you’re still reading this, it’s because you’re both practical enough and sensible enough to learn first, consider your options, and make an informed purchase. The information here isn’t just based on over 25 years in the jewellery industry, it’s also common sense. Think about it.

Science not salespeople. Believe science!

First of all, there will be a lot number provided with the stone. Argyle sold their pinks with lot numbers. The flip side of this is that accessing records of old lot numbers isn’t necessarily possible. They go back a long time.

Second of all, it can absolutely be proven whether a stone came from the Argyle Mine in The Kimberly. They have a range of characteristics that are particular to that region, they are very different in composition to pink diamonds found elsewhere.

If you do some research on this, the specifics of the area geologically along with the make up of the stones is incredibly interesting. They really are unique.

There are 2 laboratories in Australia (at the time of writing in 2023) who can determine the provenance of the stone. They will tell you where it was formed. Both labs are endorsed by The Gemmological Association Of Australia.

The laboratory that we use is Gem Studies Laboratory in Sydney. Here is a link to what they provide:

https://www.gemstudieslaboratory.com.au/coloured.html

There is another laboratory in WA. We are based in Sydney, and so we use the Sydney based lab for obvious reasons.

Should you wish to have a stone tested at the other laboratory we are happy to arrange that for you, but the cost of the courier, the insurance and the laboratory fees will be your responsibility.

Our pink diamonds were purchased from Argyle, and come with lot numbers. We send the stones for laboratory testing, and provide the certificate detailing the results.

The lot number is included on the report for that particular stone, along with many details including it’s cut and colour, clarity, fluorescence, a photograph, and the origin of the stone. Each diamond is assigned a Lab Reference Number that will remain on record.

You will also be provided with an independent valuation.

Of course. We have pink diamonds in stock that have been graded and have a lot number, but haven’t been sent to the laboratory yet. We only send a few at a time.

If you choose a stone that hasn’t been sent out yet, you can wait for it to be tested and returned with the results, or you can purchase it on the spot and do that later should you choose to. That’s up to you.

The laboratories deal with both businesses and the public.

We are jewellers. We do not provide financial advice sorry. It wouldn’t be ethical.

Prior to providing inscriptions and certificates, Argyle sold mixed parcels of stones. The parcel would have a lot number, as did some individual stones. The stones in the parcel would be of differing size, colour and quality. The sale of the parcels also occurred when the mine had begun issuing certificates, but not to stones of the size of the ones in the parcels.

One website we were reading suggested that these stones were rejects, they are poor quality. Only buy stones with a certificate. Interesting.

The reality is, that as the years went by, smaller and smaller stones were given inscriptions and certificates. The colour grading chart was even changed to accomodate new standards of pink, paler pinks that were not considered a strong enough hue previously.

The mixed parcels contained many stones of sufficient quality to be both certified and inscribed later on.

Why? Because the rarity of these stones became increasingly apparent as the hunt for them continued. Stones of the same quality that were sold in parcels at one stage, were inscribed and given a certificate in the latter stages of mining them.