Perth, Australia-- Rio Tinto announced the launch of its annual Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender, a showcase and sale of rare pink diamonds from the company's Argyle mine in Western Australia.

The 2010 tender, themed "Earth Magic," features a total of 55 pink diamonds and, for the first time in its history, the tender will be displayed in mainland China, in recognition of the market's growing demand for rare colored diamonds.

"We are delighted to showcase this beautiful collection to the world," Josephine Archer, business manager for Argyle Pink Diamonds, said in a news release issued earlier this week. "The color saturation across this year's collection has set a new benchmark with many more 'vivid' pinks than previous years."

Some of the tender's top stones include a round, 2.02-carat,  brilliant fancy diamond that is vivid purplish-pink  in hue and has been dubbed the "Argyle Mystra." There is also the "Argyle Iris," a 1.43-carat fancy diamond that is purplish-red in color and square-shaped. It was named after the Greek messenger goddess. Also part of the tender is a half-carat fancy, a purplish-red, round diamond called "Argyle Ava."

According to the release, the 2010 Argyle tender currently is underway in Perth, Australia, where it will be on display until Aug. 22. The diamonds will be in Hong Kong Sept. 13 to 20 and Shanghai, China on Sept. 27.

The tender will be on display in New York City from Oct. 12 to 17. The 2009 tender, "Grand Passions," did not stop in New York.

Also this week, Rio Tinto announced the following:

• An award for Murowa. Murowa Diamonds won the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Best Corporate Social Responsibility Programs award for 2009. Murowa Diamonds earned the award for its community programs, which focus on employee welfare and HIV/AIDS programs.
  According to a news release, Murowa Diamonds' initiatives include building classroom blocks at schools in the region, providing textbooks, building and refurbishing health clinics, upgrading cattle stock, training farmers and enabling households to survive periods of prolonged drought. In addition, Murowa Diamonds facilitated voluntary AIDS testing as well as  counseling for employees and community members to encourage individuals to get tested for the disease.
  Rio Tinto holds a 78 percent interest in the Murowa Diamonds mine, which is located near Zvishavane, Zimbabwe, in the southwestern part of the country.
• Bridal marketing move in India. The company has launched a new marketing initiative that focuses on selling diamond accessories for family and friends at Indian weddings in addition to traditional bridal jewelry. According to a news release, the campaign, "Nazraana," was announced at Rio Tinto's India 2010 Symposium in Goa, India, where 58 Indian retailers met with Rio Tinto's Select Diamantaires to discuss new avenues of distribution for diamonds in the growing Indian market. The Nazraana training program will teach Indian retailers and their sales associates how to sell bridal add-ons without impacting the main sale.