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North America’s largest gem-quality diamond has narrowly escaped being discarded by a multinational mining group in Canada.
One of the more significant finds in recent years, the Foxfire diamond might have been destroyed if not for a happy twist of fate.
Found in the Arctic region of Canada, the impressive 187.7 carat Foxfire diamond – named after an aboriginal term for the Northern Lights – could so easily have been disposed of accidently by a Rio Tinto ore processor during mining activity at the Diavik Diamond Mine.
Located in Canada’s remote Northwest Territories, there has been much demand for diamonds from Diavik. Fortunately, Canada’s Foxfire diamond has kept its 187.7 carats intact, avoiding being pulverised because its unique elongated shape allowed it to slide through the filtering screen during processing work. Lucky indeed, as the diamond is thought to be of considerable value! As chief executive at Rio Tinto, Alan Davies adds: “It really is a miracle that it was found. It’s a rare find, a really rare find.”
This rare, freakish diamond was discovered by accident… and could be worth millions https://t.co/lmKwnGfElShttps://t.co/qSIWMJ04rK
— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) May 19, 2016
Many choose to holiday in Canada for the country’s spectacular natural landmarks and while the stunning Canadian Rockies or Niagara Falls are treasures in their own right, the country is also a hot bed of precious gems and diamonds.
If you’re keen to discover more of the country’s prized jewels, why not check out a couple of attractions where you can come face to face with all that glitters in Canada!
Teck Suite: Earth’s Treasures at the Royal Ontario Museum
Showcasing some of the Earth’s most magnificent geological finds – as well as few that are out of this world – head to the Teck Suite at The Royal Ontario Museum. The displays in this gallery feature the ‘Canadian Mining Hall of Fame’ and many other incredible gems, precious minerals and unusual rocks dating back as far 4.5 billion years! The collection even boasts a series of space meteorites, treasures from a galaxy far, far away perhaps?
Gold Rush! – El Dorado in British Columbia at the Canadian Museum of History
Make like history’s prospectors and follow the path of Canada’s gold rush at Fraser Canyon through an interactive experience at British Columbia’s Canadian Museum of History. New to the museum this year, the exhibition ‘Gold Rush! – El Dorado in British Columbia’ encourages visitors to explore how the discovery of gold in the Pacific Northwest changed the province forever. Featuring over 280 artefacts, the collection includes miner’s tools from this period as well as demonstrating how gold features in contemporary times through articles such as Olympic gold medals.
If you’re keen to get hands on with a treasure hunt of your own in Canada, why not experience the Yukon and Alaska Explorer tour through the country’s alluring rural province Yukon?
Follow the prospecting footsteps of Yukon’s gold-seeking past as you travel along the Klondike Highway to the historic settlements of Dawson City, Beaver Creek and Skagway. Along the journey you’ll discover the untouched beauty of Kluane National Park & Reserve and can even try your hand at gold panning – you never know, maybe you’ll bring more than memories home from your holiday in Canada!
Image Credit: Trevor Macinnis, J. Lee, Tony Hisgett (wikipedia.org), Daniel MacDonald (flickr.com)
