DIAMOND CUTTING: Sudbury to be home of Ontario’s first facility

ONTARIO — On April 6, 2009, the government of Ontario announced that Sudbury will be the home of the province's first diamond cutting and polishing facility. The announcement was made in Sudbury by Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle.

Crossworks Manufacturing, part of the HRA-SunDiamond Group, who qualified for a supply contract with De Beers' Diamond Trading Company, will cut and polish an estimated $25-million worth of rough stones a year at a new northern facility. Once completed later this year, the facility will employ about 50 people in special skilled diamond cutting trades, as well as administrative and maintenance positions. The high-quality rough stones will come from the De Beers' Victor mine in the James Bay Lowlands (see CMJ, January 2009).

Under an agreement with the Ontario government, De Beers Canada is making 10% of its annual rough diamond production from the Victor mine, by value, available for cutting and polishing activities in Ontario.

A photo gallery of the Victor mine development is posted at www.DeBeersCanada.com.