Zara Tindall promotes £21,000-a-ring jewellery containing pink diamonds from pollution-hit mine linked to 'forever chemicals' row

Zara Tindall is promoting jewellery worth up to £21,600 per ring – despite the designer's use of diamonds from a mine with historic links to massive pollution.King Charles' niece has her own jewellery range with Calleija, which features pink diamonds from Australia's Argyle mine.On its website Calleija tells potential buyers: 'As the…mine has finally come to the end of its life, the opportunity to own an Argyle Pink Diamond is rarer than ever before.'However, historically the jewels were obtained in a mining process which traditional owners of the land – Australia's indigenous people – say involved 'forever chemicals'.Mining giant Rio Tinto has now begun a clean-up of the site across 5,000 acres.Zara's link to the Argyle diamonds has been revealed by the Mirror. She is the second high-profile figure to face controversy over the stones after singer Ellie Goulding admitted to the newspaper that she was 'mortified' to have worn them.Designer John Calleija's website includes four designs promoted by Zara, who together with husband Mike is a supporter of ocean conservation charity Blue Marine Foundation.They include the £21,600 platinum Suprema Saddle ring set with 27 Argyle pink diamonds. It is said to reflect her love of equestrian eventing. Zara Tindall (right) spoke with guests during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London, in May 2025Mrs Tindall has her own jewellery range with Calleija, including the £21,600 platinum Suprema Saddle ring set with 27 Argyle pink diamonds (pictured)She endorses her range saying: 'From the very first meeting with John, I felt an instant connection to Calleija's designs.'It felt fantastic to wear them. John and I talked then about creating something together and how great it could be.'One Calleija social media post from last year states: 'Zara Tindall attended the garden party at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday afternoon, wearing our gorgeous Sidra earrings featuring rare Australian Argyle Pink Diamonds.'Calleija says it prides itself on working with 'ethically sourced materials'.The Western Australia mine's pollution legacy includes PFAS, a compound used in firefighting foam and known as a 'forever chemical' because it is so hard to break down.A 2025 report on Argyle from Gelganyem, the organisation which represents traditional owners' interests, warned: 'Land use will be permanently restricted due to soil, groundwater and surface water contamination from PFAS and hydrocarbons.'It also highlighted serious erosion, the need to test fish for chemicals and damage to indigenous burial and ceremonial sites.It added: 'This is not about targeting individuals. It is about asking brands, suppliers and public figures who promote these products to support transparency - and ensuring that the people most connected to the land are heard. The jewels used in the set were obtained in a mining process which traditional owners of the land – Australia's indigenous people – say involved 'forever chemicals''….The questions raised by the promotion of Argyle diamonds are bigger than any one person or piece of jewellery.'They are about whether the story of a product includes the people whose Country was mined, what happened after mining ended, and how we know commitments to rehabilitation are being met.'In a statement John Calleija said: 'Since opening our first boutique more than 40 years ago, we have always been fastidious about where our natural diamonds, gems and precious metals are sourced, hence our support of Positive Luxury and the Butterfly Mark for many years.'We pride ourselves on working with ethically sourced materials, hand selecting the finest gems and the most beautiful, natural diamonds.'Calleija has worked with Argyle Pink Diamonds for many years and our experience has been that careful custody of these beautiful diamonds, from the mine to the retailer, is treated seriously.'He said Rio Tinto was a founding member of the Responsible Jewellery Council, which promotes responsible sourcing and ethical practices throughout the jewellery supply chain.The Argyle mine closed in 2020 and the company has previously said that it is 'undertaking major works including rehabilitation, with long term monitoring and maintenance to follow.'A statement added: 'We acknowledge traditional owners as custodians. We are continuing to talk to them and their representatives, the Gelganyem Group, about closure, including PFAS. PFAS containing firefighting foams were historically widely used worldwide, including at Argyle.'We continue to assess and manage environmental impacts associated with this historical use. Our priority is to deliver a safe, stable and culturally respectful closure while ensuring environmental outcomes are managed.'Our focus is on meeting commitments we have made, being transparent about progress and working through concerns with traditional owners.'