THE LAST OF THEM

If diamonds are a girl's best friend, then a pink diamond is that rare, one-of-a-kind confidante. To appreciate the true beauty of these dream rocks, Yanni Tan travels to Tiffany & Co. in Sydney to view the last batch of pink diamonds from Australia's famous Argyle Mine, as well as more veritable treasures.

When a maison renowned as the "diamond kings" invites you to an exclusive Diamonds and Wonders event in Australia, W one of the main sources of the world's crème de la crème rocks, you know you're in for an incredible treat. It was over a year ago when we were blown away when the 80.33-carat Empire Diamond acquired by Tiffany & Co. made its way to Singapore. This time, however, the agenda is the crowning glory of the diamond mining industry down-under: enigmatic, ultra-rare pink diamonds.

Consider yourself lucky to set eyes on a couple of them, but 35 of the finest across varying sizes and colours? It's an honour, not to mention an education for gem-lovers. In particular, these rocks originated from the famous Argyle Mine located in Australia's remote East Kimberley region. This Rio Tinto operation was one of few global producers of premium-quality diamonds until it shut in 2020. When this mine was running, less than one percent of its output were pink diamonds. That translates to just one carat of pink diamonds fit for jewellery-making, out of every one million carats of rough ones extracted.

And when you learn that the Argyle Mine was the supplier of 95 per cent of natural pink diamonds in the world (with no other serious contender), you'd come to a jaw-dropping realisation of these rose-hued stones' rarity, scarcity and immense value, which would certainly skyrocket in the future.

Our induction into Diamonds and Wonders happens at Tiffany & Co.'s Sydney flagship boutique on Pitt Street. Isn't it delightful to be greeted, in the foyer, by the instantly recognisable creations of your favourite jewellery designer of all time? For me, it is the legendary Jean Schlumberger, whose signature fantastical style lives on some amazing 67 years after he first began designing for the jeweller in New York, in 1956.