Diamonds In North America Research Paper

Running head: DIAMONDS IN NORTH AMERICA

Critical Essay: Diamonds In North America

Denise Bourgeois, Courtney Johnson, Reginald Coleman, Francis Richards

University Of Phoenix

SCI256

People, Science, and the Environment
Sunny Ryerson

August 31, 2006

Workshop 4
Diamonds in North America

“Don’t you know diamonds are a girl’s best friend?” Many female pop stars throughout the ages have sung about this precious gem. What is it about this element? Is it because its peculiar shape, variety of colors and flawless clarity? Who knows? The fascination of this gem has been in effect since the dark ages. To find one or even purchase one makes someone feel like royalty. A country
that mines diamonds is very rich and economically sought out. In this paper, the diamond mines that were established in Canada will be discussed.
History
Many diamond mines are located in the continents of Africa and Asia.
That is why the world was at awe to find that the continent of North America possessed these mines as well. As a matter of fact, the past decade, Canada has manufactured 15% of the world’s diamonds. In 1989, Canadian geologists stumbled upon a dig site that contains “pipes”. Pipes are the veins that carry diamonds to the surface from great depths (Raven-Berg, 2005). In 1991, the company DiaMet found 81 diamond pipes. It was not the first diamond find in North American but it was the first major commercial deposit (Arctic, 2003). When the discovery was announced, it sparked the biggest staking rush in Canadian history. By 2002, over 300 pipes had been found in the Northwest Territories, 15 to 25 of them with economic potential. Many large diamond companies continue to explore the significant diamond potential of the Northwest
Territories.
Development
After the discovery of the diamonds, the once quiet area of land had an outburst of activity. The area became a “hot spot” for diamond discovery. Siesmotoologists discovered that diamonds were found in rocks that were ancient. It is well known that diamonds can be found in ancient deposits (Raven-Berg, 2005). Numerous diamonds were found in several pipes across the Northwest Territory of Canada. Canadian diamonds are also quite special because they have only been around about thirty years. Prior to their discovery in Canada 's Artic north in 1989, the finest quality diamonds were sourced from South Africa. This monopoly was put to an end when two Canadian geologists, Charles Fipke and his partner Stuart Blusson discovered a large vein of Kimberlite near Lac De Gras in the Yukon, Canada. This discovery was exciting as Kimberlite is the ideal stone-growing medium for high quality diamonds. Soon after this, in 1991, yet another source of diamonds in Kimberlite was found in Nunavit in the Northwest Territories. In the last thirty years, Canada has risen to become one of the top three producers of gemstone quality diamonds in the world.
Although South Africa produces the most diamonds, many of them are for industrial and technological uses. Currently, Canada is the third top producer of diamonds for rings behind Botswana and Russia. One of the great things about this mine is they have gone a long way towards making Canada 's indigenous people, Indians and Eskimos, quite wealthy. The mines provide high-income jobs with an average salary of $63,000. These are permanent jobs that are currently handled by aboriginal peoples such as the Dene First Nation. When you buy Canadian diamonds you are also supporting an indigenous culture (Bryson Burke,
2005).
Diamond Industry and the Environment Many geologists and scientists feel that the new diamond industry may harm Canada’s natural resources. Because of this, the Canadian government establishes the environmental group called the Natural Resources Canada. Natural Resources Canada advances the Government of Canada’s commitment to the sustainable development of our natural resources — contributing to their economic importance and to a strong society and communities through knowledge, innovation, technology and international leadership. The industries are unified with the government dealing with environment issues. For example, the Bryson Burke Company has set up these regulations and solutions to maintain an environmental balance. These solutions are: • Link with all stakeholders from the local population and workers, to environmental groups, regulatory agencies, and stockholders. • Employ sediment retention structures to minimize amount of sediment migrating off-site • Employ spill prevention and control plans to minimize discharge of toxic/hazardous materials into water bodies • Site roads, facilities, and structures to minimize extent of physical disturbance • Avoid construction or new disturbance during critical life stages • Minimize use of fences or other such obstacles in big game migration corridors; if fences are necessary, use tunnels, gates, or ramps to allow passage of these animals • Use "raptor proof" designs on power poles to prevent electrocution of raptors • Use buses to transport employees to and from mine from outer parking areas to minimize animals killed on mine-related roadways • Limit impacts from habitat fragmentation, minimize number of access roads, and close and restore roads no longer in use • Prohibit use of firearms on site to minimize poaching. • Because diamond bearing material has already limited growth of vegetation, replant site with species comfortable in a metaliferous environment (Bryson Burke, 2005) In conclusion, over the years, Canadian Diamonds have earned quite a reputation for quality and integrity. Canadian diamonds are of very high quality with their most precious characteristic being their brilliant white color. This is especially true of the diamonds that come from the Ekati mines. Their purity and clarity makes a stellar piece of jewelry.

References
Bryson-Burke Company Inc, (September, 2003). Canadian Diamond Industry. Retrieved August 31, 2006, from Bryson-Burke Inc Web site: http://www.brysonburke.com.
Raven, P. H., & Berg, L. R. (2006). Environment 5th edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.