Necklace of 75 carats rough Ontario diamonds worn at Toronto Film Festival

A diamond necklace made of 75 carats or 27 un-cut un-polished Ontorio diamonds was seen for the first time in public, adorned by Canadian actress Allie MacDonald (star of SCORE: A Hockey Musical) at the Opening Night at the Toronto International Film Festival, recently. The necklace designed by Canadian designer Reena Ahluwalia in 18 carat gold, is worth $1 million, produced by Vancouver-based Crossworks Manufacturing in collaboration with Canadian jeweller BIRKS. It was commissioned to celebrate diamonds that originated from the De Beers Canada Victor Mine on Ontario and the development of a secondary diamond industry in Ontario.

The necklace is created in with a spiral cage design inspired by the historic Mace of Ontario (Ontario Legislature). I chose spirals for the beauty in their symmetry and what they conveyed - growth, advancement, energy and evolution. The spiraling form secures the rough diamond gently and is intended to portray social responsibility, signifying the diamond mine and the natural riches of Ontario, “ explained Ahluwalia.

Dylan Dix, Marketing Director of Crossworks Canada said the necklace was made, “to show the world the natural and exceptional beauty of Ontario diamonds.” Crossworks Manufacturing has an exclusive agreement to polish an allocation from the Victor Mine and is the lone company worldwide to provide diamonds mined, cut and polished in Ontario.

The necklace will be on sale at BIRKS on Bloor in Toronto, Canada. BIRKS has a been exhibiting Ontario diamonds since April 2010, when it unveiled the first 131 diamonds certified by the Government of Ontario.

BIRKS and Crossworks held an exclusive cocktail reception an evening prior to the Opening Night, presenting the necklace to the actress. Also, two new additions were introduced into BIRKS' assortment of Canadian diamonds: the largest diamond so far mined in Ontario - 6.29-carat Amorique diamond®, BIRKS' proprietary cushion-shaped, fancy cut diamond as well as the first pink Ontario diamond, in a unique ring setting by BIRKS. Michael Gravelle, Ontario Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry said, "I am thrilled, on behalf of the Ontario Government, to present this 2.75-carat pink diamond as the first pink diamond from the De Beers Victor Mine, cut and polished in Ontario."