The mines invested hundreds of millions of dollars building mining and cutting facilities in a most un-hospitable environment. With the average temperature below freezing 8 months a year it was a daunting project. Once completed these operations would employ many native peoples bringing prosperity to a region known for its poverty. Fast forward to the late 1990'a and the beginning of marketing diamonds from Canada to consumers in the US.

A young visionary by the name of Oren Sofer saw the potential for marketing of diamonds from North America and in partnership with BHP, owner of the Ekati mine (at that time the only operational mine in Canada) established the brand Canadia which would become the preeminent diamond mined, cut and polished 100% in Canada's Northwest Territories. One thing many of the Canadian cutters have done to differentiate their diamonds from others is to specialize in cutting diamonds to ideal proportions.

A diamond cut to ideal proportions will return more light and sparkle and thus be a more beautiful diamond. Of course it costs more for this increased precision but it is a difference even the untrained lay person can see. In the last 5 years the issue of diamonds funding civil wars and brutality in Africa has become a recognized issue.

The industry and governments have set up systems to track diamonds from the mine to the consumer, most notably the Kimberly Process. There is still the belief(for good reason)that some diamonds slip through the cracks and the proceeds from those diamonds may be funding the war lords. However according to all observers the amount is far less then even 5 years ago. Although we deal with some of the worlds most reputable diamond dealers and require all our suppliers to sign documents attesting that all diamonds we purchase from them have been sourced from legitimate sources we find that diamonds from Canada assure 100% peace of mind as to their legitimacy.

All diamonds we sell on our website www.arcticsparkle.com have the CanadaMark identification number lasered engraved on them. This number can be entered on the CanadaMark website http://www.canadamark.com and will show the mine from where it came from and also the weight of the original rough. Along with this the diamond is accompanied by a document from the Canadian government attesting to the diamonds origin. I like to refer to Canadian diamonds as "fair trade" diamonds.

This is an often misunderstood and misused term. We use the term with the understanding that not only are the miners, polishers etc receiving fair compensation and benefits for their labors but also that steps are taken to insure that there is minimal impact to the environment. This is something the Canadian government regulates closely. One interesting fact regarding Canadian diamonds is currently the average diamond found in Canada is whiter and purer then the average diamond found elsewhere. As output from the mines increase this may change but for the short term it means that you can rest assured that by purchasing a Canadian diamond you are not funding conflict. You are helping the native peoples and you are getting as beautiful a diamond as possible.