Abu Dhabi: If you ever wanted to see where some of the world’s rarest pink diamonds come from, then the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi is the place to be with the opening of its new exhibition on Thursday featuring a large collection of photographs that showcase the remote home of these unique diamonds.
Taken by famed Australian photographer Anthony Horth, the series of pictures were shot at Australia’s Kimberly region over a period of four years, as the exhibition looks to pay homage to the area’s natural environment and indigenous community. The photography exhibition will be open until December 15.
“I was invited to the Argyle Diamond Mine which is located in West Australia, it is one of the most remote places on earth, it’s just nature over there and also happens to be where some of the world’s most unique diamonds come from,” said Horth.
“The photographs I took were compiled over four years, and my hope for people who come and see the exhibition is for them to be able to feel what I did when I was out there. It was a truly humbling experience to be in that environment, and to be able to witness the immense natural landscape, I believe that such areas really need to be respected and looked after,” he added.
Horth said he had the opportunity to see the raw diamonds first-hand, which are then polished and sent to high-end stores around the world including the UAE.
“The diamonds that are excavated from the area end up coming to the UAE where they are then sold. The rarest diamonds come from the mine area, the pink diamonds are some of the most valuable ones in the world, so it’s a very rich and important site,” he said.
“I had the chance to see the diamonds in their raw state and before they were cut and polished up. The diamonds look like a glossy rock in their original state and very different than the final product which takes a lot of amazing work,” he added.
Horth also spoke positively on the environmentally sound way in which the diamonds were excavated.
“You can say that we have got an ecological green diamond, it’s an amazing phenomenon as the indigenous community are working hand in hand with the mining efforts, and so there is this amazing harmony. Everything is done in a proper and environmentally friendly way.
“I had the great opportunity of going out to the site with some of the [indigenous] elders and they told me their side of the story, and the marvellous relationship they have with the [mining company],” he added.
