Two Diamonds from De Beers’ Victor Mine in Ontario's Legislative

Two diamonds from the De Beers Canada Victor Mine have been set in the Legislative Mace presented to parliament Tuesday in a special ceremony in the Ontario Legislature. One diamond was polished, while the other was left in its natural rough form.

The Mace was scheduled to undergo re-plating and repair when the House rose for winter recess in December 2008. The setting was designed by resident Canadian and De Beers jewelry award winner, Reena Ahluwalia.

De Beers Canada President and CEO Jim Gowans said the company is honored to be a part of Canadian history. “As Ontario's first diamond mine, we will continue to set high goals for our team to ensure we maximize the benefits of this world class operation for our employees, our community partners and the people of Ontario.”

The De Beers Canada Victor Mine began operations in January 2008 and is located in the James Bay Lowlands on the traditional lands of Attawapiskat First Nation. Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Hall attended the ceremony at the Ontario Legislature on behalf of her community.

In addition to the two diamonds installed in the Mace, another polished diamond from the Victor mine was donated for a display that will be set up later this year, showcasing the diamonds journey from Mine to Mace.

The three diamonds are the first certified diamonds in the province of Ontario, selected from the first commercial production of the diamond mine. The two polished diamonds were cut at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario earlier this month.