Miners Unearth a 552.74 carat Yellow Diamond in Canada -The Biggest Ever Found in North America

Miners in the in the Northwest Territories of Canada, unearthed in October, a 552.74 carat yellow diamond. Dominion Chief Executive Officer Shane Durgin said it was a "miracle" that the stone, which is about the size of a chicken’s egg and one of the 30 largest diamonds ever found, survived the mining process. 

According to Dominium, "the astonishing gemstone was uncovered while passing through the initial screening process at Diavik’s recovery plant. Abrasion markings on the stone’s surface attest to the difficult journey it underwent during recovery, and the fact that it remains intact is remarkable.  Measuring 33.74mm x 54.56mm, a diamond of this size is completely unexpected and almost three times the size of the next largest stone ever found in Canada." 

This find far surpasses the previous record held by the Diavik Foxfire at 187.7 carats, which was also recovered at the same mine in 2015. When polished, that diamond produced a pair of fancy yellow pear shaped  diamond earrings weighing 37.87 carats and 36.80 carats sold for $1,572,500. 

Due to the significance of the discovery, the company will select a partner to cut and polish this one-of-a-kind 552.74 carat yellow diamond of which the value has not been determined yet. 

According to Marion Hume, ethical consultant and journalist who travelled to Diavik in 2015, “Diavik is an inspired collaboration between indigenous stakeholders and a modern mining company, guests in the pristine land of the caribou. The Diavik diamonds encapsulate all that is good about diamonds: care for the land, community benefits…a promise of new wealth, a legacy for future generations.”

By YDCDL - Langerman Diamonds

Picture courtesy: Dominion Diamond Corp,  Christies.