Diamond Industry

from mine to retail – how diamonds are produced

Diamonds are naturally occurring deposits of crystalline carbon, created deep in the earth, carried to the surface and deposited in several ways. The Diavik Diamond Mine, in which Harry Winston Diamond Corporation holds a 40 per cent interest, was formed by volcanic eruptions contained in carrot-shaped geophysical structures known as Kimberlite pipes. Of the world’s 5,000 kimberlites, only 23 have been found to contain enough diamonds to mine.

The process of incorporating diamonds in finished jewelry ready for wear encompasses five major steps.

Exploration and mining

Diamonds are found indirectly by searching for mineral clues such as garnets, which are found more abundantly in kimberlite pipes. More sophisticated exploration techniques include geophysical analysis, which employs computer modeling to differentiate hidden kimberlite pipes from the surrounding host rock. Drill core sampling and bulk sampling are also employed in the latter stages of exploration.

Mining at Diavik, in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is currently by open pit, with underground mining likely in the future.

Separating diamonds from waste rock is largely a gravity-based process. Ore is crushed, scrubbed and screened to a size between one millimeter and 25 millimeters. Once separated from the ore, diamonds are identified by x-ray (which causes them to fluoresce) and separated from other material by blasts of air.

At the Diavik Mine, the diamonds collected are shipped to Yellowknife, where they are cleaned and divided between the joint venture partners and assessed for government royalties.  

Harry Winston Diamond Corporation holds a 40 per cent equity interest in the Diavik Diamond Mine. The mine is operated by a subsidiary of Rio Tinto plc, of London, England.

Wholesaling & Brokerage

Rough diamonds appear in a very wide range of sizes, colors and clarities, resulting in a matrix of more than 20,000 individually graded categories. The diamond merchants who buy rough often specialize in dealing in specific sizes and categories of diamonds.

Instead of turning over its diamonds to third parties, Harry Winston Diamond Corporation sorts its diamonds into parcels tailored specifically to the individual preferences and requirements of its clients, and thereby realizes additional value from its stones. 

Cutting and Polishing

The value of a rough diamond is maximized through cutting and polishing that minimizes flaws and maximizes size, in preparation for incorporation in jewelry. While the preparation for cutting makes extensive use of high technology, it still retains a high degree of individual skill and experience.

Harry Winston Diamond Corporation maximizes the value of its rough diamonds by placing them with the cutters and polishers best positioned to provide the largest and highest-quality polished stones to Harry Winston.

Jewelry Manufacturing and Retailing

Whether a given diamond is to be incorporated into a ring as a solitaire, or matched with other stones in a more complex design, the jeweler’s skill in capturing all of the diamond’s fire and brilliance is a major element in achieving the desired artistic result – which is to take someone’s breath away.  

Because of the extraordinary range of diamond qualities in stones of identical size and similar external appearance, financial strength, experience and integrity are among the most important characteristics for retailers of diamond jewelry.

Harry Winston Diamond Corporation’s luxury diamond jewelry brand, Harry Winston, employs a team of designers and in-house craftsmen, and owns a library of more than 100,000 original diamond jewelry designs – with new designs being added all the time – to achieve the maximum visual from every stone and the maximum emotional impact for every client.   

Harry Winston serves its clientele through an expanding international network of salons that offer both the traditional diamond jewelry retail shopping experience, as well as private viewings, consultations, and custom designs.