Post by IQ on Jul 13, 2004 19:34:46 GMT -5
Canada's diamond industry has grown rapidly since diamonds were first discovered in the Northwest Territories in the early 1990s. Between 1998 and 2002, nearly 14 million carats of diamonds, worth $2.8 billion, have been mined. Canadian diamond prices are now third highest in the world, led only by gems from Namibia and Angola.
The presence of kimberlite-indicator minerals in Manitoba was discovered during a regional sampling program conducted by the Geological Survey of Canada, which concluded in its 2003 geological survey update: "Diamondiferous kimberlites have been discovered in the adjacent provinces of Saskatchewan and Ontario, as well as in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Manitoba bedrock geology contains similar Precambrian elements as found in neighboring Saskatchewan and Ontario – provinces that have both proven and potentially economic kimberlite fields.
De Beer's Star Pipe in Saskatchewan, one of the largest kimberlite discoveries in Canada, according to North Star Diamonds CEO Walter Stunder. He says the property has classic kimberlite magnetic signatures, high quality diamond indicators of diamond source rock, as well as the potential for discovery of other minerals including gold and platinum.
Saskatchewan is the largest producers of Potash (8.5 million tonnes per year) and Uranium (10.8 million kg per year) in the world.
Today, there are plans to mine many more Canadian kimberlite deposits, including those found here in Saskatchewan. Although the entire province is considered prospective ground for diamond exploration, most of the attention has been focused on the Fort à la Corne Kimberlite Province, (CMKX area) a large area about 80 kilometres east of Prince Albert that is one of the largest clusters of kimberlite deposits in the world. Test results so far are so encouraging that there's a good chance Saskatchewan may soon have its own diamond mine.
Diamonds were first discovered north of Prince Albert in 1988.
The grade of diamonds found goes up as deeper levels of kimberlite are analyzed.
However getting a diamond out of the ground is only one part of the process of turning it into the sparkling centerpiece, since you also have to cut and polish it.
The trickiest method of cutting involves identifying the diamonds natural cleavage planes, then hitting it with a hammer and chisel in the hope of causing it to split where desired. However, a too-hard or ill-aimed blow can ruin the stone, so most diamonds today are cut instead by a thin metal saw, charged with diamond dust and oil.
The largest diamond ever found was the Cullinan, discovered in South Africa in 1905 and presented to King Edward VII. It weighed 3,106 carats (621.2 grams, or 1.37 pounds) before being cut into 105 gems, the largest of which, a 530.2-carat (106.4 grams, or 3.4 ounces) drop-shaped stone called the Star of Africa, is now set in the British royal scepter. It's the largest cut diamond in existence.
That’s almost 1.4 pounds, which doesn’t seem that heavy.
The Northwest Territories have a very similar geological composition, and as it is common knowledge they have already made $2.8 billion dollars in profit, lets get things rolling and get some large diamonds out of the deep end of the kimberlites.
The presence of kimberlite-indicator minerals in Manitoba was discovered during a regional sampling program conducted by the Geological Survey of Canada, which concluded in its 2003 geological survey update: "Diamondiferous kimberlites have been discovered in the adjacent provinces of Saskatchewan and Ontario, as well as in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Manitoba bedrock geology contains similar Precambrian elements as found in neighboring Saskatchewan and Ontario – provinces that have both proven and potentially economic kimberlite fields.
De Beer's Star Pipe in Saskatchewan, one of the largest kimberlite discoveries in Canada, according to North Star Diamonds CEO Walter Stunder. He says the property has classic kimberlite magnetic signatures, high quality diamond indicators of diamond source rock, as well as the potential for discovery of other minerals including gold and platinum.
Saskatchewan is the largest producers of Potash (8.5 million tonnes per year) and Uranium (10.8 million kg per year) in the world.
Today, there are plans to mine many more Canadian kimberlite deposits, including those found here in Saskatchewan. Although the entire province is considered prospective ground for diamond exploration, most of the attention has been focused on the Fort à la Corne Kimberlite Province, (CMKX area) a large area about 80 kilometres east of Prince Albert that is one of the largest clusters of kimberlite deposits in the world. Test results so far are so encouraging that there's a good chance Saskatchewan may soon have its own diamond mine.
Diamonds were first discovered north of Prince Albert in 1988.
The grade of diamonds found goes up as deeper levels of kimberlite are analyzed.
However getting a diamond out of the ground is only one part of the process of turning it into the sparkling centerpiece, since you also have to cut and polish it.
The trickiest method of cutting involves identifying the diamonds natural cleavage planes, then hitting it with a hammer and chisel in the hope of causing it to split where desired. However, a too-hard or ill-aimed blow can ruin the stone, so most diamonds today are cut instead by a thin metal saw, charged with diamond dust and oil.
The largest diamond ever found was the Cullinan, discovered in South Africa in 1905 and presented to King Edward VII. It weighed 3,106 carats (621.2 grams, or 1.37 pounds) before being cut into 105 gems, the largest of which, a 530.2-carat (106.4 grams, or 3.4 ounces) drop-shaped stone called the Star of Africa, is now set in the British royal scepter. It's the largest cut diamond in existence.
That’s almost 1.4 pounds, which doesn’t seem that heavy.
The Northwest Territories have a very similar geological composition, and as it is common knowledge they have already made $2.8 billion dollars in profit, lets get things rolling and get some large diamonds out of the deep end of the kimberlites.