Last October, in Canada’s frozen Northwest Territories, just 135 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the Diavik mine unexpectedly yielded a 552-carat fancy yellow diamond. It is the largest of its kind ever discovered in North America. Canadian mines are known to produce high-quality diamonds but not particularly large ones, making this finding quite remarkable. The quarter-pound gem-quality stone, which is the size of a chicken egg, is nearly three times heavier than the previous North American record holder, the 187.7-carat “Diavik Foxfire.” Despite its impressive dimensions, the Canadamark™ diamond rates only 25th on the all-time list of the world’s largest rough diamonds, just ahead of the Lesotho’s Letseng Star (550 carats) and just behind the Central African Republic’s Spirit of de Grisogono (587 carats). The top seven diamonds on the list are all from the continent of Africa, including the granddaddy of them all, the 3,106-carat Cullinan, which was discovered near Pretoria, South Africa, in 1905. Due to the historic nature of the stone, Dominion Diamond Mines, which owns 40% of Diavik, reported that it will be selecting a partner to cut and polish it. The task is so risky and complex that only a handful of master cutters… Read More
An emerald engagement ring that survived the fateful final voyage of the Titanic in 1912 made a surprise appearance on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow this past Sunday. The ring, which features an emerald center stone flanked by smaller emeralds and diamonds in a platinum setting, was owned by the guest’s grandmother, who was newly married and only 18 years old at the time. Her grandmother managed to board a lifeboat and escape the sinking ship, but her grandfather was not as lucky. Antiques Roadshow expert Joanna Hardy said the emerald ring by La Cloche was first class in every sense of the word. She explained that the famous jeweler had a shop in Paris, but also opened a location on Bond Street in London in 1904. “All of the rich and the famous and the dignitaries would buy La Cloche jewelry,” Hardy said. “And this is definitely an engagement ring because you have the emerald there, which means hope and renewal, rebirth and life, and the diamonds are all set in platinum.” Hardy noted that she was surprised that the emerald ring has remained in such stunning condition. “The fact it has survived [the sinking of the Titanic] is quite incredible,” she… Read More
