A IN FOR PENNY

The Royal Canadian Mint’s Opulence Collection, featuring rare pink diamonds from the famed Argyle mine, promises to reinvigorate the passion of coin collecting in Asia.

The newly minted gold, platinum and diamond-encrusted coins represent some of the finest examples of numismatic craftsmanship and include Splendour, Grandeur and Treasure, three coins available in Hong Kong and encrusted with the rarest fancy vivid and fancy intense pink diamonds.

Created in collaboration with Crossworks Manufacturing and designed by Canadian artist Simon Ng, the pink diamond coins are the first of their kind to be produced by the Royal Canadian Mint.

Beyond their exceptional beauty and unparalleled craftsmanship, what makes the coins truly unique is the use of pink diamonds from Rio Tinto’s renowned Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia, which was once responsible for producing 90% of the world’s pink diamonds, which in turn account for less than 0.1% of all diamonds mined worldwide.

The Royal Canadian Mint’s first-ever 10 oz. 99.95% pure platinum coin, Splendour features a finely engraved single cherry blossom surrounded by a delicate lacework of vines, and 64 hand-set fancy vivid pink diamonds.

Crafted from 2 oz. of 99.95% pure platinum, Grandeur features an exquisite cherry blossom surrounded by a ring of lush flowers and filigree vines. The engraved artwork of this 42mm coin is enhanced with 30 fancy vivid pink diamonds hand-set into rose gold-plated, platinum-cast jewellery enhancements. Delivering luxury on a grand scale, the ultra-rare diamonds radiate from the centre of the flower toward the rose gold-plated rim.

Finally, crafted from 1 oz. of 99.99% pure gold and inspired by Art Deco architectural elements, Treasure’s engraved design features a stylised central cherry blossom with swirling petals. The art is adorned with five fancy vivid pink diamonds hand-set into a rose gold-plated, platinumcast jewellery piece. The obverse of all three coins features a field pattern inspired by the cherry blossom petals on the reverse, and the effigy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. kunmingdiamonds.com - NICK WALTON