Rio Tinto Mine Recovers Rare Purple Diamond

Rio Tinto has unearthed a purple diamond weighing 0.45 carats at its Diavik mine, an unusual find at a site that generally produces white stones. 

A trace element like hydrogen or a twist in the diamond’s crystal lattice structure likely caused the purple hue, the miner said Monday in a Facebook post. The rough diamond is classified as a “makeable” due to its shape, indicating it is suitable to be cut into a single polished stone, it added.   

The discovery comes only a few months after the miner found a 158.20-carat, yellow diamond at the Canada mine. Diavik is due to close in 2026 after 23 years. 

Image: The purplish-pink diamond. (Rio Tinto/Diavik Diamond Mines)