A rare gem. (Dominion Diamonds Mines)
Civilizations change, rise, and fall. Technology advances. Traditions evolve, and cultures merge.
But diamonds? They are forever, people.
No one in Canada knows this better than the folks at the Diavik Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories.
The Diavik Mine, where the gem was found. (Getty Embed)
Since opening in 2003, this mine has unearthed some incredible gems, none of them more famous than the 187-carat Foxfire diamond. This jewel literally toured the globe and is the largest diamond ever found at the mine. Or rather, it was.
That's because the mine has just announced a new gem that dwarfs the Foxfire in every way—a three billion year-old, 552 carat yellow diamond. This is not only the largest diamond ever found in Diavik, it's the largest ever found in North America, according to Jim Pounds, executive vice president of Dominion Diamonds.
Biggest ever or not, it sure is special
Sorting through rocks at Diavik to find those precious diamonds. (Getty Embed)
A carat is a unit of weight for precious gemstones. One carat equals 200 milligrams (just .007 ounces). For perspective, a 24-carat diamond is a real whopper—at 552 carats, this thing is a rare beast, indeed.
Yet to be cut
Of course, if the picture above doesn't strike you as what a diamond normally looks like, that is because it's still a raw stone. It hasn't been cut or polished yet. Once that happens, it could end up being more around 150 carats. This would still make it a highly-prized stone. For example, after the Foxfire was cut into earrings, it was sold for $1.5 m U.S.
Shine on!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Canada!! Whoo hoo
WOW!!!!!!!! 😛