O’ Canada; the land that gives us maple syrup, Mounties, ice hockey, poutine, incredible wildlife species and stunning mountains and lakes, and, of course, Celine Dion, Michael Buble and Ryan Reynolds. 

Did you know though that Canada, amongst its other famous assets, also gives us diamonds? Hidden far away in the most remote of places, far from civilization and beneath the surface of a frozen tundra where temperatures can plummet to -50 degrees, beautiful twinkling diamonds are waiting to be excavated and enjoyed by all those who love their sparkle.

History

Canada is rich in materials and minerals. Since geologists Chuck Fipke and Stewart Blusson discovered diamonds in 1991 at Point Lake near Lac de Gras, 300km northeast of Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories, experts have found ways to battle the harsh conditions and have been mining since October, 14th 1998.  

Alongside Russia and Botswana, Africa, Canada has also been consistently supplying the world with a large volume of diamonds since the nineties and is the third biggest diamond producer in the world. According to statistics, in 2022 Canada produced 17.73 million carats. 

There have been eight diamond mines in Canada to date but not all of them are currently operational. Four are currently active, three were closed, and one is classified as an advanced project. The very first mine to be opened was the Ekati Diamond Mine which is still in operation today with plans to continue this into 2040 and all the Canadian mines are currently owned by Burgundy Diamond Mines (founded in Perth, Australia).

“Ekati” in Tłı̨chǫ means Fat Lake. The Tłı̨chǫ people are a Dene First Nations people and one of the traditional land users in proximity to the mine site.”

Three of the four mines that are still open are situated near the Arctic Circle completely remote and with accompanying extreme harsh conditions in the Northwest Territories and one is located in central Canada in the French speaking region Quebec.

• The Ekati Diamond Mine - Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories

• The Diavik Diamond Mine - Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories

• The Gahcho Kué Diamond - Fort Smith, Northwest Territories

• Renard Mine - Jamésie, Quebec

What does Canadamark mean?

Canadamark, owned by Burgundy Diamond Mines, is a trademark and an assurance that your diamond is Canadian. With every Canadian diamond mined there is an accompanying certificate card which states from which mine the diamond came, the serial number which is also inscribed on the diamond’s girdle, the weight of the rough it was cut from and the weight of the finished polish stone.  Canadamark assures manufacturers, retailers and customers, that Burgundy diamonds are sustainably produced and support ethical investment in Canada’s Northern Indigenous communities.

Authenticity, Accountability and Transparency 

When a Canadamark diamond is cut and polished, a unique serial number is assigned to the stone which is then laser engraved on its girdle together with the Canadamark logo. This inscription is so small that it’s invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen using a microscope or diamond loupe.

The same number can be found on the certificate card that comes with the stone. You can enter this number on their website to verify if your diamond is an authentic Canadamark diamond and to follow your diamond’s unique journey from rough to polished.

“It gives you complete transparency allowing you to see total chain of custody providing undeniable diamond origin and traceability.”

Unlike diamonds from other countries, even though they adhere to the strictest measures of The Kimberley Process and these days it is extremely rare to ever have a conflict diamond enter the market, most stones will go through several cut and polishing centres and end up in trading centres such as Antwerp, New York, Tel Aviv etc. and it is impossible to know where the diamond originally came from. Canadian diamonds are mined in Canada and cut, polished and graded at the Burgundy-owned Argyle Pink Diamond facility in Perth, Australia. Rough diamonds are sold through Burgundy’s proprietary auction system in Antwerp, Belgium, and through select tenders whilst the majority of faceted diamond sales are made via their Perth office and Canadamark registered retailers. They always have an accompanying certificate to prove their place of origin.

CanadaMark® Diamonds with Grading Report Include an Authentication Card Documenting

Mine of origin   +   Unique CanadaMark® number   +   Diamond weight

What makes Canadian diamonds unique?

You are not just buying a diamond from Canada. You are investing in something much bigger than the diamond, something on a far greater and deeper scale. Understanding what goes on at the mines and what role companies play is paramount to truly understanding the diamond and gemstone industry. It is important especially when you are considering investing in beautiful jewellery.

Quality and Excellence

Canadamark proudly demonstrates that Canadian diamonds are of exceptional colour, clarity, and lustre with low levels of fluorescence. Quality control is paramount to ensuring only the best diamonds in all grading categories are exported. 

Regulations

Canadian mines adhere to the toughest and strictest regulations under Canadian government legislation when it comes to safety. Additionally, there are stringent environmental laws concerning the wildlife, water and fishing habitats around the mines and these are to always be protected as much as possible.

Burgundy insists on safety before business and works tirelessly with suppliers, industry peers, regulators, government agencies, first responders and local communities to drive a culture of workforce safety. There are regular trainings, education and many hazard reports and union reviews to thoroughly ensure safety is at the forefront of all their operations across all departments. This includes bi-weekly site visits with field audits on selected areas.

 “Responsible mining means improving lives, strengthening communities, protecting wildlife, and respecting the environment in which we operate."

”The Courage to Care Campaign is an initiative aimed at helping us better understand the key leading indicators that impact the safety performance of our operations. The campaign focuses on providing our front-line supervisors with the right tools and resources to support our workers.

Safety Starts with Me is an immediate recognition program we launched in 2023, through which leaders can give on-the-spot recognition to team members who make positive contributions toward improving safety in the workplace. This can include solutions and ideas regarding various initiatives and activities, such as helping to reduce injury rates, minimizing our use of resources, protecting the environment and other measures that result in improved practices.”

Ethics

“All Canadamark diamonds are tracked through independent, audited processes at every stage from the mine of origin to the polished stone.” 

Not only do they adhere to The Kimberley Process but they have their own system to track each stone from its polished state back to the mine and the rough it came from. This naturally is more time consuming and expensive which reflects in the price but for reassurance and that guarantee of provenance it certainly has its advantage. 

Environment

Canadian mines are situated in the wilderness and by vast amounts of water and as such it is important to preserve and protect the natural environment. There are several fisheries- and wildlife monitoring projects. In order to get a water license and land permits Burgundy had to go through tough assessments including a technical session and public hearing. It took a year to obtain and is currently valid for 10 years so long as they continue to adhere to all the measures and regulations put in place. Burgundy additionally must pass environmental performance reviews where the mine is visited regularly by the GNWT Department of Lands inspector. From carbon footprint recordings to water, wildlife and land preservation, there are multiple projects and research programs in place to monitor and constantly improve the conditions around the mine.

“Burgundy’s short-term research goal has been to establish and evaluate the vegetation growth directly within processed kimberlite. In 2023, the LLCF reclamation research included evaluation of organic soil amendments (mine-generated organic matter, imported compost, alfalfa pellets), topsoil top-dressing trials, Arctic coastal species trials (Kugluktuk species trials) and other ongoing species and moss propagation trials.”

“Responsible and sustainable environmental management form the foundation of our commitment to the environment in which we operate and the communities whose culture is intrinsically connected to the land and wildlife surrounding the Ekati mine.“

People

As well as investing in preserving and positively influencing the natural environment as much as possible, Burgundy Diamond Mines also invests in the Ekati Plus Community Development Program, an initiative set up to provide in-kind support for sustainable projects that benefit the North. There are careers fairs, recruitment advisors, grants to post-secondary school education, further learning centres and Northern Leadership Development Programs.

There are workplace policies to protect their employees as you would expect to see in any company, better pay for labour workforces and training programs to help career advancement. From apprenticeships and summer jobs to leadership and job-specific training, the continuous development for growth and success is something they are passionate about to keep creating opportunities for the people of the Indigenous communities. More prosperity to the local economy allows for more social benefits for employees and their families.

“Indigenous businesses have secured numerous contracts supporting the Ekati mine, including mining services, explosives and blasting supply, catering and janitorial services, freight management and transportation services such as air freight, passenger flights and ground transportation.”

At the Ekati mine site there is a health and wellness program complete with medical staff, massage therapists and a fully functioning gym to ensure mental and physical health is always prioritized for mine employees. As well as occupational health programs there are multiple lifestyle events and entertainment activities to bring together and strengthen the communities, to foster the work-life-balance with fun and encourage engagement in social interactions.

So why should you buy a Canadamark diamond?

Canadamark diamonds are more expensive. We aren’t going to sugarcoat it with maple syrup and there are reasons for that. Not only are the conditions extremely harsh but getting logistics and supplies in and out of the remote mining towns is incredibly challenging and expensive. There are no proper roads and most are made of ice which makes it dangerous. Miners and trucks can only travel in the winters across the frozen ice. Once the ice melts they can only travel in via helicopter and there are only certain times of the year they are accessible. There is also a premium at every stage of the diamond chain. They audit and check, verify and track every diamond at every stage which takes longer and means additional costs in labour and time. Additionally, there are tariffs and concessions that the Canadian government place onto mining companies. The additional benefits and fairer wages they pay their employees means additional production and labour expenses which ultimately is reflected in the end price the consumer pays.

Canadamark diamonds is a trademarked name and ultimately is part of a marketing campaign but it has its unique selling point. Canadamark diamonds are not necessarily better, have more lustre or more sparkle. Diamonds are graded individually so whether it comes from Africa or Canada, if it has the same grades across all of the 4 C’s you will not be able to tell the difference. A diamond is a diamond. What Canadamark does give you though, is knowledge of its origin. If you feel a connection to Canada, or love the idea of being able to trace the stone back to its mine and knowing that Canada puts strong resources into improving the infrastructure of its indigenous communities, protecting the environment and wildlife and you want to support that then it might be worth paying a little more for the things that also align with your own values. It all comes down to what you believe and what things mean to you. Is it just a diamond or is it a vision, an heirloom, investment or part of a legacy? It gives you options and choice. It is a personal decision and something only you can weigh up and decide on. 

If you would like to book a consultation and know more about having a piece of jewellery made with Canadamark Diamonds feel free to phone us on 01243 538 313 or use our online appointment booking service. We look forward to welcoming you to our atelier!

For further reading:

https://www.canadamark.com

https://burgundydiamonds.com/ekati-mine

https://www.timothyroe.com/articles/4-cs-of-diamonds

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Who are Burgundy Diamond Mines?

In July 2023, Burgundy Diamond Mines Limited purchased the Arctic Canadian Diamond Company and all its assets, including Ekati mine. Burgundy trades on the Australian Stock Exchange as ASX:BDM, and is the parent company of Arctic Canadian Diamond Company, with offices in Calgary, Canada; Perth, Western Australia; and Antwerp, Belgium.

Founded in Perth, Western Australia, Burgundy is positioning itself to be a sector leader through its unique vertically integrated business model and its acquisition of the world-renowned Ekati Diamond Mine asset in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

Burgundy also holds a 40 percent interest in the Naujaat Diamond Project located nine kilometers from the Naujaat community in Nunavut, Canada.