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Mines/Australia

Argyle diamond mine

Argyle diamond mine, Australia. Closed, open pit, mining diamonds.

Why Argyle diamond mine is famous

Last day of mining was 3 November 2020 after 37 years. Closure works were expected to finish in 2026.1,2,3,4

Story cards

Timeline

  1. October 1979Argyle diamond pipe AK1 found5
  2. 1995RTZ and CRA form a dual listed group7
  3. 3 November 2020Argyle diamond mine ends mining5

What kind of deposit

Kimberlite and lamproite pipe

Argyle diamond mine today

Mining in Australia

Where next

Mines

Same kind of depositKimberley Big HoleThe Big Hole was hand-dug from 1871. Argyle's AK1 pipe was found in 1979.8

Events

Owned byRTZ and CRA form a dual listed groupRio Tinto ran Argyle until its last day of mining on 3 November 2020.1Led toArgyle diamond pipe AK1 foundRead what happened near Argyle diamond mine: Argyle diamond pipe AK1 found.1Led toArgyle diamond mine ends miningRead what happened near Argyle diamond mine: Argyle diamond mine ends mining.1

Deposit types

An example ofKimberlite and lamproite pipeArgyle diamond mine belongs to the kimberlite and lamproite pipe family of deposits.9

Sources

  1. Argyle closure page Rio Tinto
  2. Wikidata entity Q652475
  3. Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2025 Rio Tinto (SEC)
  4. Argyle diamond mine Wikidata
  5. The iconic Argyle diamond mine delivers its final production (3 Nov 2020) Rio Tinto
  6. Diamonds (Mining and Energy Western Australia exhibition) State Library of Western Australia
  7. History of Rio Tinto
  8. Kimberley Big Hole Showcaves
  9. Mineral Deposit Models (Bulletin 1693, Cox and Singer, eds., 1986) US Geological Survey

From the Prospector Trails mining history dataset: each fact links to the source it was checked against. Figures are as the source gives them, in the money of their day. Not investment advice.

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Cover photos from Wikimedia Commons: Super Pit, Kalgoorlie by Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0.