Your Beyond Brilliance diamond is from the Renard mine, which adheres to the most stringent regulations and ethical mining standards.
Renard Diamond Mine
The Renard diamond mine is located around 350 km north of Chibougamau in the James Bay region of north-central Québec. Renard began after five diamond-bearing pipes, also known as kimberlites, were discovered in 2001. Renard is the French word for ‘fox’, after the kimberlites were found on a quest for diamonds on an exploration called the ‘Foxtrot property’, which commenced in 1996.
Construction of the Renard mine began in 2014 and is the first diamond mine in Québec. Operating under strict regulations to ensure good mining conditions, minimise global footprint and ensure strong social acceptance from local communities, you can be assured that your Renard diamond was ethically mined. Unlike the other Canadian mines which are accessible by ice roads, the Renard allows all-season access due to a Route 167 extension, connecting the mine to surrounding communities.
Estimated to produce around 1.6 million carats per year, the Renard mine is expected to have a mine life of 14 years, representing approximately 2% of global diamond supply. Diamond production first started in 2016, with the Renard mine officially declaring commercial production in 2017. The Renard mine was constructed under the March 2012 Mecheshoo Agreement which provides training, employment and business opportunities for the people of the Cree territory where the mine is located, as well as the monitoring of ethical diamond production when it comes to social, environmental and cultural concerns.