Kunming Diamonds

What Kunming Diamonds does

Kunming Diamonds is a Hong Kong-headquartered, family-owned natural fancy colored diamond trading house founded in 1987 by Ajay Maheshwari (Jakhotia). The company transitioned from colored gemstone wholesaling (rubies, emeralds, sapphires) to exclusive dealing in natural fancy colored diamonds by the early 2000s and began stocking Argyle pink diamonds in 2011. It is one of approximately 13 Rio Tinto Argyle Pink Diamonds Authorised Partners worldwide, granting privileged access to polished Argyle pinks via quarterly allocations and the annual tender. Kunming serves fine jewelry designers, luxury retailers, collectors, and select ateliers with GIA-certified pink, red, blue, violet, green, yellow, orange, and chameleon diamonds ranging from 0.10 to 15 carats, along with matching melee and custom cutting/layout services.

The business generates revenue through markups on the procurement and resale of rare individual stones and curated collections, with pricing negotiated on a per-transaction basis given the one-of-a-kind nature of inventory. Kunming's distribution model combines enterprise field sales through its authorized partner network (selling into brands such as Tiffany & Co., Chow Tai Fook, Boodles, Graff, Moussaieff, and Calleija), direct sales at over 15 annual international exhibitions, and a recently launched online inventory catalogue for collectors. Its Aurom subsidiary extends the rare diamond supply chain into premium Royal Canadian Mint collectible coins. The company operates sales/marketing offices in Hong Kong (HQ), USA, Australia, Japan, Thailand, and India.

Strategically, Kunming is positioned at the center of the post-Argyle scarcity dynamic: it acquired the entire Everlastings Collection (2019) and the entire Once in a Blue Moon blue/violet collection (2021) from the final Argyle tenders, giving it a permanent inventory advantage as the mine closed in November 2020. Industry body memberships across RJC, WDC, NCDIA, FCRF, HKIDA, and others reinforce its ethical sourcing credentials, while multi-generational family leadership with GIA gemological credentials underpins the firm's traditional expertise-based operating model.

Name

Kunming Diamonds

Legal name

Kunming International Limited

Website

https://kunmingdiamonds.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kunming Diamonds is a family-owned Hong Kong trading house dealing in rare natural fancy colored diamonds, authorized as one of ~13 Rio Tinto Argyle Pink Diamonds partners. It supplies GIA-certified pink, red, blue, and other fancy colored diamonds to luxury jewelers, brands, and collectors worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Colored Diamond Trading

NAICS

Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers (423940)

SIC

Wholesale-Jewelry, Watches, Precious Stones & Metals (5094)

akta.pro primary industry

Colored Gemstone Jewelry (CRAKAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Diamond Jewelry (CRAKAAAA)

Keywords

• Natural colored diamonds
• Fancy color diamonds
• Argyle pink diamonds
• Investment grade diamonds
• GIA certified diamonds

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Fancy Color Diamond Trading: Kunming Diamonds trades in rare natural fancy colored diamonds (pink, red, blue, violet, green, yellow, orange). The company acquires diamonds through Rio Tinto's Argyle Mine tenders and authorized partner allocations, then sells to jewelers, retailers, brands, and collectors. Revenue is generated through the mark-up on procurement and sale of these ultra-rare gemstones, with individual stones commanding significant premiums based on color intensity, carat weight, and provenance.
2. Aurom Collectible Coins Distribution: Through its subsidiary Aurom, Kunming Diamonds serves as the premiere global partner and authorised distributor of the Royal Canadian Mint, distributing luxury collectible coins adorned with Argyle pink diamonds (Opulence Collection). This provides a complementary revenue stream leveraging the company's rare diamond supply chain and collector customer base.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kunming Diamonds is a global natural fancy colored diamond trading house that procures, curates, and distributes rare GIA-certified colored diamonds (pink, red, blue, violet, green, yellow, orange). As an authorized partner of Rio Tinto's Argyle Mine, the company acquires diamonds through sealed-bid tenders and quarterly allocations, then sells them to luxury jewelers, retailers, brands, fine jewellery designers, and collectors worldwide.

Product overview

Kunming Diamonds operates as a global natural fancy color diamond trading house, offering rare gemstones across the color spectrum (pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and chameleon). As an authorized partner of Rio Tinto's Argyle Pink Diamonds program, they provide exclusive access to the world's most coveted pink diamonds through annual tenders and quarterly allocations. The company offers curated collections including The Everlastings Collection, Once in a Blue Moon Collection, The Zenith Suite, and The Petite Suites. Additional offerings include GIA-certified diamonds, melee (small diamonds), custom presentation and layouts, and an online inventory catalogue. Their Aurom subsidiary distributes rare collectible coins from the Royal Canadian Mint.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aurom: Premium collectible coins partnership with Royal Canadian Mint, featuring Argyle pink diamonds. Aurom serves as the official distributor of the Opulence Collection.

Products and services

• Argyle Pink Diamonds Authorized partner access to rare pink and red diamonds from Rio Tinto's Argyle Mine in Western Australia, including participation in the annual Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender and quarterly polished Argyle pink allocations.
• The Everlastings Collection Exclusive collection of 64 lots of Argyle pink and red diamonds weighing 0.14 carats and below, with a total weight of 211.21 carats, representing 2% of the Argyle mine's annual pink diamond production.
• Once in a Blue Moon Collection Rare collection of blue and violet diamonds from the Argyle Mine, comprising 41 lots totaling 24.88 carats, curated over more than three years, featuring 17 GIA graded diamonds and 24 expertly curated diamond sets.
• The Zenith Suite Collection of five mixed fancy shape diamonds with highest color intensities including oval-cut Fancy Dark Grey-Violet, radiant-cut Fancy Red, pear-cut Fancy Deep Purplish Pink, heart-cut Fancy Deep Pink, and modified pear-cut Fancy Deep Pink.
• The Petite Suites 12 carefully curated sets of miniature rare Argyle pink, red, blue and violet diamonds collected over five years, designed with harmonious balance between size, shape, color and clarity for jewelry design.
• GIA Certified Colored Diamonds Globally sourced GIA-certified colored diamonds including bubblegum pinks, deep ocean blues, bright marigold yellows, and fresh tropical greens ranging from 0.10 to 15 carats, available to jewelers and collectors.
• Melee (Small Colored Diamonds) Skillfully assorted naturally colored diamond star/melee in various colors, shades, and sizes to fulfill diverse global demands and service requirements for watchmakers and jewelry designers.
• Presentation and Layout Services Expert stone cutting and layout services including rose cut and unique cut stones, matching pairs, complete bracelet and necklace layouts, with innovative cutting and calibrating for half-moons, trillions, and tapered baguettes.
• Aurom Collectible Coins Premium global partner and authorized distributor of the Royal Canadian Mint, specializing in rare collectible coins adorned with Argyle pink diamonds, including the Opulence Collection featuring platinum and gold coins.

Quantifiable outcome

• Argyle pink diamond prices have appreciated over 500 per cent since 2000, outperforming all major equity markets, validating the investment case for these stones.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and supporting.

• World Diamond Council (WDC)coreOthers · 1 January 2023Kunming Diamonds joined the World Diamond Council in 2023. The WDC serves as the diamond and jewellery industry's official representative within the Kimberley Process. Kunming Diamonds is the only fancy colour diamond specialist to have joined the WDC.
• Rio Tinto (Argyle Mine)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Kunming Diamonds was named an Argyle Pink Diamonds Authorised Partner by Rio Tinto in 2020. The partners' program is only open to selected members of the diamond trade and gives them the opportunity to purchase polished Argyle pinks in quarterly allocations, rather than bidding for a limited number of larger stones at the annual Argyle Tender. Rio Tinto evaluates companies rigorously for strict adherence to ethical standards, outstanding financial strength, and proven demand before approving them.
• Royal Canadian MintcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAurom, a Kunming Diamonds company, is the premiere global partner and authorised distributor of the Royal Canadian Mint. Through this partnership, Aurom distributes luxury collectible coins from the Opulence Collection, which are adorned with rare pink diamonds from the Argyle mine.
• Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC)coreOthersKunming Diamonds is a certified and audited member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) since 2017, with full certification achieved in 2019. The RJC is a standards-setting organization for the jewellery and diamond supply chain.
• Hong Kong Indian Diamond Association (HKIDA)keyOthersKunming Diamonds is a founding member of the Hong Kong Indian Diamond Association (HKIDA).
• Natural Colored Diamond Association (NCDIA)keyOthersKunming Diamonds is an honorary member of the Natural Colored Diamond Association (NCDIA), a non-profit membership organization serving as the educational institution for natural colored diamonds.
• Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF)keyOthersKunming Diamonds is a member of the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF), which aims to improve consumer experience and provide fact-based support for fancy color diamonds as an asset class.
• Diamond Federation of Hong Kong (DFHK)supportingOthersKunming Diamonds is a member of the Diamond Federation of Hong Kong (DFHK), which is part of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB).
• Diamond Dealers Club (DDC) New YorksupportingOthersKunming Diamonds is a member of the Diamond Dealers Club (DDC) in New York, part of the WFDB network.
• DAWN JewellerysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDAWN Jewellery, a Hong Kong-based boutique jewellery designer, was handpicked by Argyle as a Select Atelier in Hong Kong to showcase Argyle Pink Diamond jewellery pieces, working with Kunming Diamonds as the authorized supplier of these rare stones.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Leibish & Co. Family-run fancy color diamond specialist offering GIA-certified natural colored diamonds (pinks, blues, yellows, greens) to retailers and collectors globally via online catalogue and trade show presence — directly comparable to Kunming's core offering and model.
• Aurora Gems: Wholesale dealer of natural fancy color diamonds (pink, blue, yellow, green, orange) supplying jewelers and designers; operates with a similar trade-oriented model focused on Argyle-era inventory and certified stones.
• Tanagram Group: Boutique fancy color diamond consultancy and trading house representing Argyle Pink Diamonds inventory, serving designers and collectors with a curated sales approach.
• Optimum Diamonds: Fancy color diamond wholesaler specializing in pink, yellow, and blue certified stones, supplying fine jewelry manufacturers and retailers worldwide.
• Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry: Specialist retailer and wholesaler of natural fancy color diamonds, known for Argyle pink inventory and bespoke jewelry, serving collectors and luxury buyers.
• Kaufmann de Suisse: Geneva-based fancy color diamond specialist procuring and curating rare natural colored diamonds for ultra-high-net-worth collectors worldwide, with comparable trading-driven model.

Broad incumbents

• Moussaieff Jewellers: Bond Street high-jeweler specializing in exceptional colored diamonds; both a customer of Kunming and a competitor in the ultra-rare fancy color diamond space with broader retail reach.
• Graff Diamonds: Legendary high-jeweler and a major buyer of Argyle pink diamonds; while a Kunming customer, Graff also competes in polished fancy color diamond supply to collectors at the top end of the market.

Others

• Sotheby's Diamonds: Auction house that is the dominant secondary-market price-setter for fancy color diamonds (e.g., the US$20M purplish-pink sale in Hong Kong); sets reference valuations that flow through to Kunming's inventory carrying values.
• Rio Tinto Diamonds: Operator of the closed Argyle Mine and Kunming's principal upstream supplier / Authorised Partner program counterparty; not a competitor but the gatekeeper whose authorization strategy shapes Kunming's supply.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxOXtdMMWmqW9B8xLqA8_dw
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• Instagraminstagram.com/kunmingdiamonds
• Facebookfacebook.com/kunmingdiamonds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kunming Diamonds