How Were Canadian Diamonds Discovered? and Terms of Use. The GIA Diamond Origin Report confirms the country of origin in addition to providing a full 4Cs assessment of diamond quality and a plot showing diamond inclusions. That includes a teenager who found one of the biggest diamonds yet! Geological Survey scientist Val Jackson alerted his group to an unusual outcropping on the Arctic coast that has close similarities to the Witwatersrand gold deposits. The operation continues to create ancillary job opportunities in the Northwest Territories, as it employs workers to bring in supplies by land or boat, build roads and more. Whether a diamond is mined from Australia, Africa, Russia or Canada, you can be assured that the diamond is conflict free. The Names of the States where diamonds are found The Arkansas, Wyoming and Colorado are the only states to have a verifiable source of diamonds, however significant research efforts are being made in the United States are under way to locate other possible sources. They are in countless consumer products that we rely upon—from toothpaste to bicycles to electronics. In Africa, diamonds are found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Tanzania. They are also found in India, Russia, Siberia, Brazil, China, Canada and the United States. Copyright © 2017 Dominion Diamond Corporation. Two dreamers with a firm belief put Canada on the rough diamond-producing countries’ map. . "They're high-energy deposits that are good at carrying gold, and they're good at carrying diamonds," he said. © 2002 - var today = new Date(); var year = today.getFullYear(); document.write(year); Gemological Institute of America inc. GIA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Find a retailer that offers GIA-graded diamonds. They are the building blocks of our modern society and provide key ingredients for buildings, vehicles, transportation networks and food production. How Do You Know If Your Diamond is a Canadian Diamond? "We went up there on a float plane, bashed a piece of rock off with a sledgehammer and found three diamonds," he said. From the beginning, the Canadian government was careful to ensure that mining for diamonds would benefit local peoples while minimally impacting the environment. Due to Canada’s strict environmental and fair labor laws, especially in respect to indigenous peoples, Canadian diamonds have become increasingly popular among consumers looking for ethical diamonds. The Origin of Wedding Rings: Ancient Tradition or Marketing Invention. Although most diamond mines are located in Africa because of the issue of conflict diamonds, there are commercial advantages for mines in politically stable countries including Canada and Australia. As of 2018, the Ekati mine employed around 1,625 people with 44% being residents of the Northwest Territories and 57% of those being indigenous peoples. The discovery and mining of Canadian diamonds tells the story of the human spirit overcoming nearly insurmountable odds. Courtesy: EraGem.com. "Alberta has several potential diamond deposits and areas ripe for further exploration," he said. There are a limited number of commercially available diamond mines currently operating in the world, with the 50 largest mines accounting for approximately 90% of global supply. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties. Copyright © 2016 Rio Tinto. The Diavik mine, located 30 km away from Ekati, was discovered in the 1990s and began operating in 2003. "The diamonds we have found so far are small and not economic, but they occur in ancient sediments that are an exact analog of the world's biggest gold deposit—the Witwatersrand Goldfields of … Established in 1931, GIA protects the public through gemological research, education, impartial gem identification and grading services, and instrument development. This diamond crystal is nestled in kimberlite, a type of igneous rock from the earth’s mantle brought to the surface through volcanic eruptions. Pearson explained that ex-N.W.T. The discovery and mining of Canadian diamonds tells the story of the human spirit overcoming nearly insurmountable odds. It helps us understand the impact our purchase has on the lives of the people who made these diamonds possible. Canada - see Canadian Diamonds. De Beers had found indicator minerals—minerals such as garnet, ilmenite and chromite that form in the earth’s mantle with diamonds—that suggested diamonds might be nearby. The location has long been suspected to hold a large reserve of rich diamond deposits beneath the surface. Fipke and his partner needed to find, before the De Beers team did, a vertical rock formation called a kimberlite pipe. "That's actually one of the most astounding parts of this discovery.". googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1449240174198-2'); }); "The diamonds we have found so far are small and not economic, but they occur in ancient sediments that are an exact analog of the world's biggest gold deposit—the Witwatersrand Goldfields of South Africa, which has produced more than 40 percent of the gold ever mined on Earth," said Graham Pearson, researcher in the Faculty of Science and Canada Excellence Research Chair Laureate in Arctic Resources. 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