Diamond polisher at Gallery Gemma

Did you know that Canada is the first country in the world to mine, cut and polish its own diamonds?

Did you know that Canada is the third largest producer of diamonds in the world, behind Russia and Botswana but ahead of South Africa?

Did you know that Canada produces approximately $2 billion worth of diamonds in a year?

What other questions would you ask about Canadian diamonds if you had the chance? Would you like to see diamonds being polished, in person?

Sunday, Dec. 9 at Gallery Gemma Jewellery Art, in the historic Alton Mill, one of the world's best diamond polishers will be present with his equipment to demonstrate the art and science of polishing diamonds.

Mike Botha, master diamond cutter by profession, has worked and trained in South Africa, Russia and Canada. He headed up the award winning Diamond Training Program at Aurora College in Yellowknife as well as patenting two diamond cuts of his own. He has worked on the famous Premier Rose diamond weighing 353.9 carats in its rough state, and was recruited to cut the largest gems ever cut and polished in Canada.

Botha is now a partner in the Canadian Diamond Academy, a joint-venture with the Muskoday First Nations near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The academy has been established to offer the incomparable quality and the highest standards for training individuals in local, national, and international primary and secondary diamond processing.

Visit Gallery Gemma, for this one-day-only event.