Rio Tinto’s iconic Argyle pink diamonds are the focus of celebrations in Jaipur, capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Known as The Pink City, Jaipur was the fitting location to contest the inaugural Argyle Pink Diamond Cup, a polo match between the Royal Jaipur Polo team and the Western Australian polo team. A public event, hundreds of local people watched the keenly fought match.
According to Nik Senapati, Managing Director of Rio Tinto India, “We are delighted to be in Jaipur to present the inaugural Argyle Pink Diamond Cup, which is a reflection of the enduring relationship between Western Australia’s Argyle Diamond Mine and the Indian diamond industry. This relationship has developed into a formidable competitive advantage that has led to significant employment opportunities in both countries.”
Head of the Jaipur Royal Family, Maharaj Narendra Singh captained the winning Royal Jaipur team that played the match in the presence of Her Highness Maharani Padmini Devi, the acting Australian High Commissioner to India and senior Rio Tinto executives. The Argyle Pink Diamond Cup was designed and manufactured by one of India’s finest designers and jewellery retailers, Nirav Modi.
The Jaipur Royal Family later hosted an invitation-only dinner at their City Palace where heirloom pieces of Argyle pink diamond jewellery were showcased and worn by Pallavi Sharda, a rising Australian Bollywood star.
Argyle pink diamonds are the most highly valued gems in the world, both because of their richness of colour and their rarity. Through history, since the discovery of diamonds in India thousands of years ago, pink diamonds have been treasured by royal families for their nobility and rarity. According to Jean-Marc Lieberherr, Chief Commercial Officer for Rio Tinto Diamonds,
“Diamonds are sacred to India and Argyle pink diamonds are symbolic to Australia and so we are excited to be able to showcase Australia’s finest export in this quintessential Indian setting. This has also provided an opportunity to look back at the 30 year relationship we have enjoyed in India, and look forward to the next few decades as India continues on its trajectory to be the powerhouse of the global diamond industry.”
The Argyle Pink Diamond Cup is part of the OzFest programme, the biggest Australian cultural festival ever held in India.
For further information please contact:
Robyn Ellison
Communications Manager
Rio Tinto Diamonds
+61 417 968 359
[email protected]
