Argyle Diamonds

Argyle. The world's largest supplier of diamonds

The Argyle Diamonds mine is situated almost 200 kilometres south of Kununurra in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia and is recognised as the world's single largest supplier of diamonds. White, champagne, cognac and rare pink diamonds are extracted from an open pit operation, and an underground block cave is currently under construction.  Argyle's open pit is due to close in 2008 as it makes way for the underground development, which is likely to extend productive mine life as far as 2018.

At present, Argyle Diamonds produces around 30 million carats of diamonds each year, which accounts for approximately one quarter of the world's natural diamond production.

The Argyle Diamonds mine is characterised by a high level of efficiency, safety and productivity, coupled with a commitment to quality management, a skilled workforce and state of the art technology. The company employs around 800 people, most of whom work at the mine site, and in recent years Argyle has begun the process of localising most of its workforce in the East Kimberley.

Argyle's production consists of 5 per cent gem and 70 per cent near gem with the remaining 25 per cnet of the volume being industrial diamonds. Gem and near gem diamonds are polished and account for more than 95 per cent of the value of Argyle's rough diamond sales.  A niche polished sales business is operated out of Argyle's Perth office, and pink polished diamonds are sold to an international customer base of diamond wholesalers, fine jewellery manufacturers and high-end jewellery retailers.

While the development and operation of the mine is governed by a State Agreement, Argyle Diamonds is wholly owned and managed by Rio Tinto.  The recently signed Argyle Participation Agreement formally recognises Argyle's commitment to improving the welfare of Aboriginal communities in the East Kimberley.

For more information, please visit the Argyle Diamonds website.