Peter Jackson

At Peter Jackson the Jeweller, we are proud to stock an exclusive collection of Canadian Arctic diamonds in our shops and online. Peter our Managing Director, has developed a wonderful relationship with our colleagues in Yellowknife, Canada allowing us the privilege to offer these remarkable diamonds to our customers. As you read further into the history & journey of the diamonds you will begin to understand the allure of these incredible gemstones.

The beginning

Canadian diamonds were first found in Canada’s remote Northwest Territories in  1991. Expert test results show that diamonds found here were formed between 2.5 and 3.3 billion years ago. Meaning that they are older than the time when dinosaur’s walked the earth!

Nearby, Yellowknife is a vibrant young city with  a population of just under 20,000 one of the smallest inhabited areas in the country. It is also home to the spectacular Northern lights around 240 days per year, one of the many wonders of the natural world.

Enjoying almost 24 hours of daylight during the short summer and as little as 4 hours and temperatures of around minus 30 degrees in the winter. Yellowknife is a beautiful and truly unique community sitting near the top of the world.

These particular diamonds mined in Northern Canada close to the Arctic Circle are contained in a rock called kimberlite, which interestingly hasn’t been around as long as diamonds.

Why then are they formed containing diamonds?

This is because between 600-47 million years ago, Northern Kimberlite volcanoes erupted with molten explosions thus forcing kimberlite through the earths layers. This resulted in diamonds being carried closer to the earths surface. It is also why diamonds are only found in certain places on earth.

Where are the mines?

There are two main mines located near YellowKnife . They are approximatley 30km apart from each other and located 200km North East of Yellowknife. Centuries previous to discovering these mines, the diamonds remained hidden due to extreme weather unsuitable for humans. People first discovered the treasures of gold nearby  in the Klondike gold rush of 1897–99 and by the 1930s gold hunters had set off to more Northern territory.

Half a century later, Geologists began looking for diamonds. People had been discovering diamonds in rivers and other open waters for years as far as South Montana USA. De Beers, a South African company that is now the world’s largest producer and distributor of diamonds, wanted to be the first to discover the diamonds. They sent out search teams far and wide in the 1980s. The teams did discover garnets, chromites and ilmenites, minerals peaking their interest that diamonds could be near by. Garnets are often a clue that diamonds can be found near by.

After little success De Beers chose to move onto opening exloration in Yellowknife a near by city, at this time the city was struggling financially so residents were encouraging of the new search for diamonds. 8 years later kimberlite was found and a further 18 months later Charles E. Fipke a Canadian geologist and prospector returned with the backing of huge mining company BHP agreeing a share of 51%. Finally success! The company announced it had found a world-class diamond deposit at the bottom of Lac de Gras. This then became the beginning of Ekati mine.

North West Territories

Ekati

Ekati started mining at, in 1998 and produces roughly 4.5 million gem quality carats annually. At that impressive figure its no surprise that Ekati’s mine makes up 6% of the worlds production of diamonds. There are 12,500 carats per day taken from this mine for the production of jewellery.

Diavik

Diavik is a slightly younger mine, that started its production in 2003. However this mine produces roughly 8 million gem quality carats annually! Almost double what Ekati produces.

The Canadian mark

Once the diamonds are mined, they are asessed to establish which are ‘Gem Quality’ and any that do not meet the criteria, then go on to be sold to other industries such as the automotive & tool sector.

The Canadian government take a more intense look at the diamonds, a voluntary code of conduct for authenticating Canadian diamonds was created to make sure the diamonds being marked as Canadian were unquestionably mined in Canada. It sets standards for the handling, storage, and packaging and marketing of diamonds, starting from the very second they are sold by the mining company. This gives retailers and customers confidence that every Canadian diamond Is authentic. So vast is the country that Halifax on the East Coast is closer to Lancashire than it is to Vancouver.

Canada is the second largest country in the world! Measuring 4,600km from north to south, the country spans more than half the Northern Hemisphere. Recorded at a whopping 5,500km from east to west, it stretches across six time zones! A vast, rugged land, Despite Canadas size it is only home to 0.5% of the world’s population.

The Huge landscape is varied, with majestic mountains, rolling plains, forested valleys, and beautiful blue rivers & lakes. The ‘Canadian Shield’, a hilly region of lakes and swamps, stretches across northern Canada and has some of the oldest rocks on Earth.

A truly extraordinary country!

Handpicked by Peter Jackson

Peter has a loyal longstanding relationship with Canada and YellowKnife though family connections & The Canadian Arctic Diamond suppliers used for our beautiful jewellery. Making personal visits to Canada has enabled Peter to build a close-knit relationship, allowing the suppliers to get to know his standards and preferences when it comes to selecting diamonds. So much so that diamonds can be selected & purchased by Peter and sent overseas when a personal visit is not possible.

Once they have arrived at our head office they are meticulosly reviewed. There are very few occasions when Peter doesn’t approve of diamonds sent over, as they are carefully handpicked by collegues who, over the years have learnt which diamonds will and will not be accepted. All the diamonds are certified by The Canadian Government, attesting to their true provenence.

The buying process

Q and A with Peter, our Managing Director

1: Why did you choose to stock Canadian Artic Diamonds?

‘I have always had a passion for diamonds and for searching to find the best for our customers. Curiosity initially led me to Yellowknife, a place so remote that few Canadians have ever visited, and yet on my first visit I fell in love with the place. The start of my adventure with and love for Canadian diamonds was not far behind.‘

2: Do you often visit Canada to buy, or do you purchase remotely?

‘I visit as often as I can because the personal contact, something which seems increasingly distant these days, is of such importance to me. Video calls can be useful but there is no substitute for a handshake, a hug or time spent together enjoying good food and company.‘

3: What do you look for when purchasing diamonds?

I.e. colour clarity, shape trends best sellers

‘In a word – beauty. The colour and clarity of a diamond are important and the main factors in determining the value of a diamond, however it is the cut that unlocks the hidden fire and brilliance of a diamond. You can have the finest quality diamond in the world, but if its badly cut, it will look like a piece of glass. I can sometimes reject as many as 80% of the diamonds I look at because I don’t like the cut.‘

4: How long have you worked with Canadian diamonds?

‘I first visited Yellowknife in 2003 and spent time at two of the cutting and polishing facilities, getting to know the key players in the Canadian diamond business and learning the best ways to work with them.

It was the summer and one of my friends took me to her cabin on the Great Slave Lake. It had been originally built by a gold prospector who went to fight in the First World War and never came back. It was the only building on the lake as development there is not allowed. We sat on a rock with a bottle of wine, the only two people in the world we watched the sun set behind the mountain and come straight back up again, it was truly magical. The next time I visited was the winter – a story for another time!”

Our Favourites

From Engagement rings to diamond jewellery the Canadian Arctic range has so much to offer. We love the heart shaped solitaire it is a beautiful playful twist on the traditional diamond solitaire. This would make the perfect unique engagement ring. Traditional and classic we have a range of round brilliant Canadian diamonds, this one has a 6-claw stable setting that showcases the colour G, clarity SI1, 0.50ct diamond.

If it’s time to tie the knot you can match your Canadian Arctic diamond engagement ring with one of their timeless pendant and earring sets starting at 0.18ct in size. Not just for your wedding day these could make a special gift for an anniversary or milestone birthday. After all diamonds really are a girl’s best friend!

Distribution

We have two stores in Lancashire, Preston, and Blackburn where you can view the collection.

In store we have a beautiful window display for the Canadian Arctic diamonds displayed proudly with the Canadian maple leaf logo to differentiate from other diamonds.

Our in-store jewellery consultants are fully trained to answer all your other questions on the beautiful Arctic Diamond jewellery to make sure you select the piece for you. From engagement rings to diamond pendants there is a Canadian Arctic diamond for everyone.

Shop online or book an appointment with one of our stores to start your diamond buying experience.