Business & Personal Finance

In a recent blog, advice is provided on how to buy diamonds. 

For those concerned about "blood diamonds", i.e. diamonds that are sold to fund bloody conflicts or bankroll violence, one method that Antoinette Matlins, an internationally recognized diamond expert, recommends is the purchase of Canadian diamonds in an article entitled "How to Buy a Diamond Ring without Getting Duped" (MoneySense Magazine : February 2007).  Click HERE to view the original article.

Although not a perfect guarantee, Antoinette Matlins agrees that "if you buy a Canadian diamond from a mainstream Canadian jeweler, you can be 99.9% sure it's not a conflict diamond."

In an article entitled "Ontario Diamonds Go on Sale" by Tanya Talaga published in the Toronto Star (April 22, 2010), Ron Gashinski, the province's chief gemmologist, states "mother nature, for whatever reason, has blessed Ontario with diamonds that are absolutely off the scale."

The Canadian diamonds are "stunningly clear" and have the second-highest value per carat in the world.  Ron Gashinski continues "we get excited when we see pure diamonds.   We don't see them often.  The Lesotho diamonds (in southern Africa) are actually first in value due to their large size but Ontario's gems are superior.  On average, the Victor Mine (in the James Bay lowlands) is probably the highest grade gem mine in the world for consistency and quality."

In April 2010, one hundred "spectacular diamonds" that were mined, cut and polished exclusively in Ontario went on sale at a Toronto jewelry store.  They ranged in price from $1,300 to the cost of a one bedroom condo in Toronto.  Each of these Canadian diamonds were specially numbered and sold with a certificate of authenticity from the Ontario government.

Other Canadian diamonds are sold but they may be polished outside of the country.

For more information about Canadian diamonds, visit the Canadian Diamond Code of Conduct web site.  Click HERE to visit.  It has links to information on:

• Why purchase a Canadian diamond?
• What is a Canadian diamond?
• What are the benefits of the Canadian Diamond Code of Conduct?
• Canadian diamond brands
• Where to buy a Canadian diamond
• How to know if a retailer is a Code member?
• What to ask for if buying a Canadian diamond?
• How to request the authentication of the Canadian diamond that is being purchased?
• Do Canadian diamonds cost more?
• Other frequently asked questions

Click HERE to view a brochure on Canadian diamonds.

For more information about Canadian diamonds, the Toronto Reference Library has the following title:

Meredith, Gayla.  Canada's Northern Diamonds : From Rocks to Riches.  Yellowknife, N.W.T. : Northern Ink Ltd., [2004], c2002. 
Click HERE for details.