Argyle Pink Diamonds™ and West Australian Ballet are delighted to announce
Isabella Triscari as their Rare Gem for 2026.
The second year of a unique program, the Rare Gems partnership supports
the talented dancers from the West Australian Ballet’s Young Artists Program
as they embark on a journey that mirrors the transformation of a rough Argyle Pink Diamond™.
Gary Roskin
Roskin Gem News Report
PERTH, Australia — Long after the closure of the iconic Argyle Diamond Mine, Rio Tinto’s Argyle Pink Diamonds brand continues exploring new ways to express rarity, beauty, and Western Australian identity through its partnership with West Australian Ballet.
Argyle Pink Diamonds has named Young Artist Isabella Triscari as its 2026 “Rare Gem,” continuing the collaboration for a second year with Australia’s oldest ballet company.
The Rare Gem
The Rare Gem partnership provides 12 months of tuition and professional-stage experience for an elite dancer in West Australian Ballet’s Young Artists Program. Throughout 2026, Triscari will perform with the company during its mainstage productions and national tour.
Lauren Major, executive director of West Australian Ballet, described Triscari as “uniquely Western Australian.”
“Like the Argyle Pink Diamond, Isabella, and so many of our artists are uniquely Western Australian – rare, exceptional and something to be celebrated,” Major said.
Argyle’s Support
According to Rio Tinto Diamonds General Manager Sales and Marketing Patrick Coppens, the partnership emerged after the closure of the Argyle mine as part of a broader effort to support cultural and artistic endeavors connected to Western Australia.
Coppens explained that Argyle Pink Diamonds sought “a unique and trusted partner” aligned with the brand’s long-associated values of rarity, beauty, provenance, and pioneering spirit.
“We are honoured to share the passion for Argyle Pink Diamonds through the Rare Gem partnership.
This collaboration with West Australian Ballet is a fitting expression of what beauty and transformation means to both companies.
We congratulate Isabella on being our 2026 Rare Gem and we look forward to being part of her special year.”
Patrick Coppens, General Manager, Sales and Marketing
West Australian Ballet was ultimately selected, resulting in Argyle Pink Diamonds becoming a Petite Allegro partner of the ballet company and establishing the Rare Gem affiliation for 2025 and 2026.
“We are very happy with the special fit with WA Ballet and our shared values of beauty, rarity and the quest for perfection,” Coppens said.
The collaboration also reflects how the Argyle Pink Diamonds brand continues evolving after mining operations ceased in 2020.
“With 37 years of Argyle production in global markets,” Coppens noted, “the Argyle Pink Diamonds brand continues to explore the artistic boundaries beyond the closure of the iconic mine, paying tribute to the extraordinary provenance and uniqueness of these 1.6 billion year old treasures.”
Ballet
For Triscari, being selected as the 2026 Rare Gem carries both symbolic and practical meaning as she enters her first professional year as a dancer.
“Being named a Rare Gem is really exciting and encouraging at this stage of my career,” Triscari tells the Roskin Gem News Report. “It gives me confidence and motivation as I step into my first year as a professional young dancer. Feeling supported, grateful and recognised reminds me to continue working hard and growing both as an artist and as a person.”
Triscari is currently performing in West Australian Ballet’s 2026 production season in Perth, including Dracula, Genesis, Macbeth, and The Nutcracker.
Among the productions she is most looking forward to, Macbeth stands out. This is a new co-production with the Royal New Zealand Ballet that will premiere in Australia later this year.
“I’m really looking forward to all opportunities to perform,” Triscari said. “I was especially looking forward to the Dracula and Macbeth seasons.”
She described Dracula as “an incredible ballet,” adding that she especially enjoyed touring the production in Adelaide earlier this year.
“Performing a production in a different city and sharing that work with new audiences made it especially memorable,” she said.
“I’m especially excited to see this new ballet evolve in the studio and witness first hand what it brings to the stage,” Triscari said. “To be part of the creative process and work with Alice Topp is an amazing opportunity.”
throughout the year, including in their mainstage seasons and national tour.
Photo by Sergey Konstantinov
Rare Gem and the Art of Ballet
She also described feeling a personal connection to the themes behind the partnership itself.
“The themes of beauty, transformation and rarity feel very relevant to ballet, where so much growth happens through hard work and dedication behind the scenes,” Triscari said. “I think that shared passion makes the Rare Gem partnership with West Australian Ballet really meaningful.”
In many ways, the partnership reflects a different chapter for Argyle Pink Diamonds — once known for uncovering rare natural treasures from the earth, and now helping identify and nurture emerging artistic talent in Western Australia.
DRACULA – BLOOD DRIES FASTER IN THIS AIR
He’s waited centuries for this moment.
Dracula rises again, in the return of this multi award-winning, audience favourite.
Prepare to be consumed in the seductive storyline, magnificent score and breathtaking set and costume design again
– or for the very first time. Based on the novel by Bram Stoker.
