The Heart of Oklahoma Diamond is a symbol of a long lasting family business established in 1892 by B.C. Clark. Still family owned with Jim, Coleman and Mitchell Clark at the helm of the brand, B.C. Clark is a prominent jewelry house in Oklahoma. After nearly seven years of searching the globe, finally B.C. Clark family found the one diamond that would honor their family legacy!

A 38.05ct rough diamond was discovered from the ocean floor just off the coast of Namibia, Africa at the depth of 140 meters via De Beers Debmarine Namibia Vessel. The stone was laser-sawn to two parts, yielding a magnificent 18.92ct not only to fit BC Clark’s desire carat size (company’s founding year) but to create the most brilliant diamond with fancy intense yellow color that is as radiant as Oklahoma sunset! There is a SOL to the Heart of Oklahoma, a beautiful 5.01ct fancy yellow radiant-cut diamond yield from the same rough. The Heart of Oklahoma Diamond is a fascinating 18.92ct fancy intense yellow, internally flawless radiant cut diamond.

THE GENESIS EXHIBITION

After perfecting the diamond, B.C. Clark partnered with Harry Kotlar to use their old world technique of hand making jewelry. Harry Kotlar studied the family business, origin, B.C. Clark Sr. adventures back in the 1800’s in Indian & Oklahoma territories, the age of industrialism and steam locomotives to finally design a masterpiece that reminiscent all of the characteristics and legacy of B.C. Clark. The result is a sensational handmade masterpiece cradling The Heart of Oklahoma Diamond flanked with six perfectly custom cut tapered baguette diamonds. There is a surprise disc underneath the stone, a rose-gold disc representing the railway turntable in Purcell that is a significant part in B.C. Clark, Sr.’s voyage to find success in Indian Territory back in 1892.

It all started with a geometric design, a rough sketch and David Wiener, Harry Kotlar‘s grand son and head designer, discussing intricacies of the piece with the design team. After that the illustration is passed to the gouache artist to render the painting. From gouache painting to hand forging the metal, hand setting the diamonds and hand polishing the ring, everything is done by a small team of master artisans who have dedicated their lives to a specific element of jewelry-making to create the masterpiece that cradles the Heart of Oklahoma Diamond.

Harry Kotlar team went above and beyond to create an event that was exploring facets of art and style to showcase this masterpiece in an unprecedented way, beyond jewelry as we know it! Czarah Cabrera Creative Director and Director of Brand Management for Harry Kotlar had a vision in mind and that was Van Gogh’s Starry Night! Over the term of six month planning under her creative direction, the atrium in 101 Park Avenue is re imagined into a film and visual exhibit space using elements if scenes painted by Vincent Van Gogh. Yellow tones, twinkling colors of the night sky, blue waters and velvety blue sky applied to the space as tribute to The Heart of Oklahoma Diamond and homage to the jewelry design house’s long legacy of commitment to its pursuit of perfection and preserving the lost art of hand making the best jewels by its Italian master artisans.

Both Tracey and I had the pleasure of being invited to attend this spectacular event as guests of Harry Kotlar and B.C. Clark family, an unforgettable memory that we will cherish forever.

Here you can watch a 3 minute film revealing the art of hand making the masterpiece by Harry Kotlar master artisans, co directed by Czarah Cabrera & Ace Salvador:

The diamond mining industry has been long regarded as one of the most prestigious resource mining operations, and for good reason. Such precious stones have been created by Mother Nature, over the course of millions of years, in a few locations worldwide. Much like other mining and precious resources industries, the diamond mining industry has evolved through time from the first discovery of diamonds in some of the more remote places on the planet, to the current massive and sophisticated operations that now produce most of the world’s diamonds.

‘Blood Diamonds’ – Challenging a Long-Held Misconception of the Diamond Industry

Edward Zwick’s 2007 movie ‘Blood Diamond’ has cemented itself in the minds of many, and highlighted the need for greater and stricter regulation of diamond mines internationally. However, such tighter regulation was in fact already put in place and developing just a few years prior to the movie’s release. This regulation is known as the ‘Kimberley Process’ which prevents the proceeds of diamond sales from funding conflicts, terrorism or unlawful trading in the international diamond market and calls for the ethical treatment of workers, and the responsible use of funds and exports to conduct the mining of this precious resource. Many diamond mines globally now adhere to and follow the Kimberley Process. Unfortunately, despite the significant progress made by the industry over the past decade, there is still a lingering and widespread misconception about mining operations in the diamond industry.  Recently, I have had the opportunity to visit the world’s largest diamond mining company, De Beers, in South Africa, which enabled me to experience firsthand an in-depth, behind-the-scenes insight into the mining process, operation and challenges faced by the industry.

A Rare Glimpse into Diamond Mining

 In September 2019, De Beers opened its doors for the first time to the Venetia Diamond Mine to welcome 25 members of the Young Diamantaires* group; from over 10 countries. This was a group designed to represent the next generation of diamond industry members, founded by Mr. Rami Baron, Chairman of the Promotional Committee of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB). The trip was also organized with great thanks to Mr. Ernest Blom, World President of the WFDB, Mr. Molefi Leftivski, Mr. Kealeboga Pule and Mr. Frank Auger. I was fortunate enough to be invited on this trip, and to learn first-hand, not only as a jeweller, but as an Exploration Geologist, about the mining operation and processing of rough diamonds at the mine site, and to experience conditions at the Venetia Mine. The colossal mine spans approximately 17.7 hectares, and contains two sections, an open-pit mine to a depth of 450 m, and an underground mine that spans nearly 1,000 m depth. The Venetia open pit mine opened in 1992, and provides the region with 4,365 jobs. It is South Africa’s largest diamond producer which produced 4.2 million carats in 2018. The underground portion of the mine has been deepened to a depth of 1,080 meters, extending the life of the mine until 2046, and producing a further 2,000 jobs in the process. This is no small operation, but what is not often discussed is the benefit that this scale of mining brings not only to local communities, but to the environment that it operates in and the development of the region. In light of the current trend towards synthetic stones and lab-created ‘diamonds’, there has never been a better time to discuss the key benefits of natural diamond mining.

The Unspoken Benefits of Natural Diamond Mining in South Africa

Perhaps not widely recognised is the major contribution large companies such as De Beers play in the role of education, healthcare, environment and employment in the communities and areas they are working in. While De Beers makes significant profits from diamond mining, major re-investment of capital back into local communities, the level of safety maintained at their mine sites and taking good environmental stewardship of the regions in which they operate is of paramount importance. De Beers promotes a strict policy of ‘Zero Harm’ with significant priority given to reducing Lost Time Injuries (LTI) at the Venetia mine site. De Beers were very forthcoming in sharing statistics and discussing incidents that have happened at the mine with full transparency. It was very apparent that employee safety is the company’s primary concern and taken extremely seriously. The mine site itself was clean and well-organized, with many safety measures in place to ensure safe and comfortable working conditions. One such example, was the installation of underground ‘rescue bays’, designed to rescue workers in the event of mine collapse or other major accidents where workers congregate in a secure area if trapped underground. We had the chance to speak openly with workers around the mine site who were on shift that day, and they were all too happy, allowing us to take photos and answer any questions that we had. Both women and men were working their shifts at the mine site wearing the appropriate safety gear and following procedure. The entire operation appeared well organised and managed with a strong emphasis on teamwork, following strict safety procedures while applying the ‘Zero Harm’ mindset to all tasks. Another key area that the company focusses on is the environment. One major example of this is when De Beers purchased 36,000 hectares surrounding the 17.7 hectares used for the Venetia Mine in order to create the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve (VLNR), which conserves and protects many native species, such as elephants, from harm and in particular poaching. Without the mine, this area would have been left as farming land excluding the protection and free range of many native species. De Beers is committed to preserving the natural landscape of South Africa, in that for every Baobab tree uprooted in the development of the Venetia Mine, the Baobab and its roots were preserved, and re-planted at the VLNR, in order to preserve the life of these iconic and important species. It is also important to note that one third of water used at the mine site is recycled for later use.

Investing In Their Future – Community Initiatives

In addition to providing thousands of jobs for local workers, the company has provided a multitude of benefits in terms of environmental and social benefits in the region. One such example is that De Beers has built 19 schools in the region to support the local community. The Limpopo region, where the mine is located, suffers from heavily over-enrolled schools, hence De Beers’ efforts in this area have been extremely important for young people. The company has also implemented the ‘De Beers Teacher Subvention Programme’ that provides the enhanced capacity for mathematics and science educators to work at schools. Such programs have been implemented at the Renaissance High School, Messina Primary, Eric Louw High School and Musina School. We were fortunate to visit the local Renaissance High School which revealed the extent of over-enrolment and an acknowledgement that there is still so much more to be done as the region expands. An important discussion was initiated by Mr. Baron, in which the participating Young Diamantaires members devised a plan to raise $140,000 USD to extend and upgrade the Renaissance Secondary School in the regional town of Musina in order to build a library and a commercial-grade cafeteria for the students studying at the school.  As an Exploration Geologist, I believe emphasis should be placed on working with secondary teachers to help develop a program for secondary students to learn about the Geosciences in order to provide them with a working background of how to responsibly explore for, mine and develop such precious resources.  These students are living in such a resource-rich country and such education would not only place them in a stronger position to understand the resources industry, but also enhance long-term job prospects. I will be exploring opportunities to volunteer at the end of my PhD studies to introduce more Geoscience education to secondary schools in this resource-rich region. Another very important area where De Beers makes an important contribution is its long-standing history of providing its employees with critical healthcare assistance. One such example is that as of 2019, nearly all of the company’s employees are aware of their HIV status and are fully medicated. In the last 10 years, there has been no HIV transmission between any mother employed by De Beers to her child which is a significant measure that demonstrates the company’s dedication to the healthcare of its employees.

The visit to the region also provided an opportunity to discuss initiatives to assist the growth and development of the Johannesburg-based diamond cutters. One initiative involves a pilot program of purchasing diamonds directly from the cutting and polishing manufacturers themselves in Johannesburg, as opposed to international intermediaries, in order to assist local business and to assist sales in the target countries. One final, but important fact is that De Beers has long-supported local women, with the Accelerating Women Owned Micro-Enterprises (AWOME) program. This program is designed to provide local women with micro-financed loans to start their own businesses and to create more jobs and administer business training in order to reduce the rate of unemployment, to reduce financial dependence and to build skills. Some such examples of these projects can be found at De Beers Group “Building Forever” initiative. These are just some of the benefits that have come from natural diamond mining. As discussed, the impact of the Venetia Mine has had far-reaching benefits across the communities in the region. While I have not had the experience of visiting many different diamond mines internationally, the experience to me as a diamond dealer, geologist and jeweller was invaluable. The transparency of De Beers in allowing us to view their operations at the Venetia Mine and speak to their people was greatly appreciated and underscores the confidence they have in their operations. It is my hope that every company follows this example, and employs similar practices and transparencies in mining their own diamonds.

The Synthetic ‘Diamond’ Trade – Marketing and Myths

The natural diamond mining industry is currently facing challenges from the synthetic diamond industry, which produces laboratory-manufactured diamonds. The story told by many synthetic or lab-grown diamond traders is that their stones are ‘conflict-free’, and ‘eco-friendly’. Firstly, it is simply incorrect to assume and market that all natural Earth-mined diamonds are derived from conflict areas, and mined in unethical, un-regulated mines used to fund terrorism and conflict. Secondly, in order to create a synthetic, or lab-made diamond, extreme temperature and pressure and the use of petroleum-based chemicals is applied to a ‘seed’ crystal to produce a fully man-manufactured stone. This process consumes a large amount of energy and chemicals, which produces a large quantity of emissions, heat and waste, per stone in large factories. This can hardly be argued as totally ‘eco-friendly’ when we consider the scale of production, the size of the factories and the methods for production that creates a synthetic stone.

The problem for synthetic diamond manufacturers is that while synthetic stones are still priced at ~20-30% less than natural Earth-mined diamonds, they actually cannot hold their value on the international market, which is a problem for the consumer. Why? Because anything that can be created en-masse in a laboratory with lack of scarcity value implies that the product’s supply is virtually endless, hence no appreciation or retention of value can be maintained. Consumers need to be made aware of the facts that divide lab-made and natural stones, and need to make the choice to purchase something beautiful and unique created by over millions of years that appreciates in value, or to compromise with an inferior product that cannot foreseeably hold its value, and has no limit to its supply. It is, however, important and reasonable to ask your jeweller or wholesaler where their diamonds are sourced to ensure that their diamonds are derived from conflict-free regions and regulated mines.

Our Diamonds and Process

At Saphira Diamonds, 100% of our diamonds are natural and Earth-mined, sourced from regulated mines in conflict-free regions.  We work only with manufacturers who purchase rough diamonds from mines that are regulated, and many who are part of the Responsible Jewellery Council and from countries and mines that follow the Kimberley Process. We recognise that purchasing diamonds is a significant investment and seek to provide our clients with the confidence, education and all of the facts required to make the right decision for them. We are proud to be part of the #realisrare movement, to support natural diamond mining and local communities and hope that this article has demonstrated another side to the diamond mining industry that you may not have previously been aware. Diamonds are a gift from Mother Nature that are to be enjoyed, admired and passed onto future generations. How lucky are we to have these beautiful resources on our planet? Let’s pledge to protect, honour and respect the process for enjoying these precious gems and to remember their true value in all that we do.

Adriana Lauren Traviati BSc (Hons)

Director, Saphira Diamonds

PhD Candidate, Exploration Geophysics, Monash University, Australia

* Mr. Rami Baron created the Young Diamantaires group in 2016, when he saw the need to help, introduce and inspire the next generation of Diamantaires through challenging times, and gave young people a voice by which to express their views on the ever-changing industry and to learn from other members, worldwide. His organization in the heavily over-subscribed Venetia Mine trip has set the scene for many wonderful events at natural diamond mines in future for so many other young industry professionals.

Currently there are a very limited number of economically viable diamond mines in operation, and to put it into perspective, the largest 30 mines supplying 90% of global demand.

There are 10,000 known kimberlite pipes around the world, only 1,000 of them are diamondiferous, 100 of those are economically viable to mine. 30 Kimberlites are currently active and 20% of the total production ends up as gem quality polished diamond fit for use in jewellery industry.

Incredible assortment of rough diamonds
Credit: Anavi Diamond Group

Diamonds rarely present themselves in the accessible areas and usually located in the most inhospitable regions of the world. Therefore developing a viable diamond mine requires exploration geologists operating in high-risk environment, leading to worthless discoveries in pursuit of high value economic diamond deposit. The amount of work and investment that goes into discovery is huge but even bigger than that is developing a mining plan which is a prerequisite of financing the prospective project. A feasibility study needs to be conducted in order to determine full costs of mining, including capital and building costs as well as ongoing operational costs. This extensive process can take between two to three years before the mining company can start mine construction.

There are various types of diamond mining; Open Pit, Underground, Alluvial and Marine!

In brief, Open Pit refers to a very cost effective mining method for kimberlite deposits. In open pit mining, a large carrot-shaped hole is dig in the ground, starting from the widest part at the surface and gradually getting narrower at depth. Open pit mining expose the entire diamond bearing kimberlite so no ore is missed. One point in feasibility of an open pit mine is the strip ratio which is the ratio of waste material subject to mining to reach to the diamond bearing ore inside. The amount of host rock or the amount of material on top of the kimberlite that need to be extracted first, also known as over-burden can be a crucial element to determine the feasibility of the mine.

Largest open-pit mine in the world, the Mir open-pit mine produced over $17 billion worth of diamonds
with its deposit in more than 40 years of operation. Since 2001 the operation has transitioned to underground,
located in Russia.
Credit: ALROSA Co Ltd

A large pink rough diamond weighing 27.85 carats.
Credit: ALROSA Co Ltd

Underground mining are usually come into picture after an open pit mine is no longer feasible to extend its pit walls outward to support digging to lower depth. There are also some examples of exclusively underground mining from inception, the most common method of underground mining is block caving. This method relies on the kimberlite rock being weaker than the hosting rock, therefore a large tunnel is dug at a shallow angle to reach the ore and then a large void is extracted underneath the target kimberlite which allows the kimbertlite to collapse into the void and safely hauled away through tunnels to surface. Underground mining can extend the life of a mine by 10-20 years. While the investment is significant to make transition from open pit to underground mining but when completed it is a much more cost effective option for mining at lower depth.

Underground operation of Cullinan is renowned as an important source of large,
high value diamonds and very rare blue diamonds in South Africa.
Credit: Petra Diamonds

138.57 carat white diamond recovered at Cullinan – August 2016
Credit: Petra Diamonds

Alluvial mining happens where natural erosion has eroded the surface of a diamond bearing kimberlite rock and transported it to other locations. These diamonds are easier to access, as they are usually found in surface of rivers which makes them easy to extract and process without a need of explosives and crushing operations. The only challenge for Alluvial mining is that the diamonds have been transported over millions of years through a very expansive geography and usually large scale mining operations won’t find them feasible investment while artisanal sector would consider it.

Lucapa and its partners commenced alluvial diamond mining operations at Lulo in January 2015.
Lulo alluvial mining company (Lucapa 40% owner and operator) was formally incorporated in May 2016.
Alluvial mining and exploration activities at Lulo are focused on a ~50km stretch of the Cacuilo River
which runs through the concession. The high-value Lulo diamond production is unique, including a significant
proportion of high-end Type IIa gems and fancy colours (pinks and yellows).
Credit: Lucapa Diamond Company

Lulo Diamond Parcels.
Credit: Lucapa Diamond Company

Marine mining is facilitated through ships that vacuum the seabed through long hoses at depth up tp 500 feet and up to 460,000 cubic feet per hour. The mixture of water and gravel is transported to land-based recovery facilities to extract diamonds. Marine operations are known for recovering high quality diamonds which is due to intense natural process that occurred over millions of years and would break stones with inclusions.

Debmarine Namibia’s fleet of five marine mining vessels screening material recovered from ocean floor of
Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Namibia and The Orange River.
Credit: De Beers Group

Debmarine Namibia’s fleet of five marine mining vessels screening material recovered from ocean floor of
Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Namibia and The Orange River.
Credit: De Beers Group

Here are some magical photos!

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                                   xoxoxo
                                     Bebe   

The Golden Empress, a rare 132.55ct Fancy Intense Yellow Cushion cut Diamond

The Golden Empress along with six other Pear shaped and two Rounf brilliant cut diamods all cut from the magnificent 299ct rough diamond

The Golden Empress set in a necklace adorned with 30 other yellow diamonds