The largest Canadian Pink Diamond ever mined arrives at Vancouver's Lugaro Jewellers

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Lugaro Jewellers, celebrating its 25th year in business, is excited to be part of Canadian diamond history in displaying the first pink diamond ever discovered in Canada. The 2.75 carat pink diamond originates from the Victor Mine in Ontario operated by De Beers Canada. Pink diamonds are considered the most expensive natural creation by weight in the world and with this in mind Lugaro Jewellers announces the arrival of this rare diamond to its Park Royal, West Vancouver retail location.

Lugaro Jewellers has been one of the greatest supporters of diamonds that are mined, cut and polished in Canada and this has lead them to purchase this Canadian first. "Canadian diamonds resonate with our clients and we are excited to have one of the rarest of them all, a pink diamond like no other," says Steve Agopian, President of Lugaro Jewellers. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and to be part of the legacy of Canada's first pink diamond is quite an honour".

The brilliant oval cut, natural light pink, SI clarity diamond is set in a ring of 18-karat white gold and surrounded by smaller pink and white diamonds, 0.90 Carat TW, designed by renowned jewellery designer Simon G and retails for $425,000 CDN. The diamond was cut and polished in the Crossworks Manufacturing state of the art polishing facility in Ontario, accompanied by a Certificate of Origin and graded by the Gemological Institute of America.

"Pink-colour diamonds are rare, and especially in Canada. I am thrilled, on behalf of the Ontario government, to represent this 2.75 carat pink diamond as the first pink diamond from the De Beers Victor Mine, cut and polished in Ontario", Michael Gravelle, Minister of Natural Resources.

"The moment we saw the rough diamond we realized we were making history", said Dylan Dix, Group Executive of Crossworks Manufacturing responsible for cutting this historic diamond. "This is a rarity that I haven't seen over the 12 years that diamonds have been mined in Canada. It was polished in our factory in Ontario and this is a credit to both De Beers Canada and the Ontario Government for supporting the secondary diamond industry in Canada".

Today, the pink diamond plays the role of cupid among the coloured diamonds. Pink, after all, is the colour of passion, of universal love. The hue of a pink diamond can vary and is graded from a light champagne pink to a deep purplish pink. The extreme popularity of pink diamond engagement rings worldwide is not a surprise. Ben Affleck purchased a 6.1 carat pink diamond ring for his engagement to Jennifer Lopez and David Beckham presented his wife Victoria with a $1.8-million pink diamond. In recent years, Britney Spears, Beyonce, and Helena Christiansen sported a pink diamond or two as well.

About Lugaro:
Lugaro Jewellers, the leading Canadian Diamond retailer in Western Canada, was established in 1986 as a vertically integrated all-in-one company. Today, Lugaro operates a manufacturing facility in Burnaby and 3 retail stores in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. As a vertically integrated company who deals directly with the Canadian diamond source, the company keeps their prices competitive. Lugaro's commitment to excellence has earned them various awards in the industry, trust and praise from many loyal clients.

About De Beers Canada:
De Beers Canada operates the Victor Mine in Ontario and the Snap Lake Mine in the Northwest Territories. De Beers Canada also has a joint-venture project in the Northwest Territories currently undergoing a feasibility study, as well as targeted exploration strategy within Canada. The De Beers Canada Victor Mine was named international "2009 Mine of the Year" by Mining Magazine. De Beers Canada was also named a winner of the 2010 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Environmental and Sustainability Award. Committed to Sustainable Development and Working with Communities, De Beers Canada has a number of formal agreements with First Nation communities in Canada, including seven signed Impact Benefit Agreements related to the Victor and Snap Lake mines.