The rarest of the rare, colored diamonds are hot properties not just for adornment, but for investment. Finding these rare stones is no easier and no more frequent than it was in centuries past, even with the major leaps in technology. These rarities of geological evolution can excite passion like few other things in life, and have been hallmarks or wealth, power, even signs of divine favor.
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Even in modern times, there are few people who, once exposed the beauty of these rarest diamonds, who will not become avid collectors, wearers, and investors. But where do these marvels come from?
Blue Diamonds: The Cullinan mine in South Africa and the Golconda or Kollur mine in India have produced many legendary diamonds between them, with blues of note peppering the history books. The Golconda has produced such stones as the Hope Diamond, the Agra, and the Wittelsbach, just to name a few, and has been a source of diamonds for Mughal Emperors and crowned heads for more than 700 years. The Cullinan has produced diamonds for the crown jewels of England, and continues to be a major source of blue diamonds today.Yellow Diamonds: There’s a bit of drama centered on yellow diamonds after the closure of the Ellendale mine in Western Australia in 2015 ostensibly due to a drop off in the quality of diamonds being mined, compromising the fiscal viability of the mine. Formerly one of the top mines for yellow diamonds in the world, Ellendale abruptly shut down and went into receivership leaving creditors and workers unpaid. The mine had been the source of yellow diamonds for the venerable Tiffany & Co of New York. However, mine owner Russian oligarch Alex Alexander has been arrested by Australian Federal Police on charges of misleading the Australian stock market. It appears that Alexander inflated the values of the diamonds he hoped to sell Tiffany, and Tiffany declined to pay – thus blowing over the house of cards. More damning, Alexander’s other companies then pumped resources into another yellow diamond mine in Africa, where operating costs are lower due to a relative lack of environmental regulation and vastly lower wage standards. Yellow diamonds are found in Africa, and also in Russia, but the highly saturated yellow so valued in the diamond trade remains very rare.
Pink Diamonds: Pink is on everyone’s lips because of Rio Tinto’s crown jewel, the Argyle mine. The most significant source for pink diamonds in the world, the mine produces only a handful of gem-quality pink stones each year, showcased at the premier event of the diamond trade, the annual Argyle Tender. The mine also produces the even rarer red diamonds, as well as blues, greens, and the increasingly popular browns.
Newer diamond ventures may produce fresh sources of these rare stones, while extant stones are a larger source of colored diamonds for collectors and investors to stake out. Either way, colored diamonds will remain a beautiful rarity for many years to come.
To read other articles in the Arpège Diamonds Presents "Inside the Diamond Mines Series" click on the links below: