Author: Alastair Smith

Alastair is an experienced jewellery writer and author of 'How To Buy an Engagement Ring'. He has helped thousands of people choose their engagement ring over the last 10 years.

Stornoway Diamonds (Canada) Inc. has filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in four years, highlighting the challenges faced by the Canadian diamond industry. The company is immediately suspending operations at its Renard site in Northern Quebec, retaining about 75 out of 500 workers for maintenance tasks. This move comes as the diamond industry grapples with volatile pricing and a significant drop in demand.Impact on Canadian JewellersVolatile Diamond MarketThe suspension of operations at Renard, Quebec’s first and only diamond mine, is indicative of the broader instability in the diamond market. The price of rough diamonds has seen a nearly…

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Marking a significant milestone, Rio Tinto celebrated 20 years of diamond production at its Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The journey commenced with the discovery of the Diavik diamond deposit during the largest mineral prospecting rush in Canadian history in the 1990s. Officially, commercial production began in 2003 and over the past two decades, the mine has yielded over 140 million carats of rough diamonds, unveiling a rich reservoir of predominantly white gem quality diamonds, with a marginal production of less than 1% of yellow diamonds.Overcoming Nature’s ChallengesSituated 220 km from the Arctic Circle in the Barren Lands,…

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