Post by Catdaddy on Oct 5, 2007 9:44:44 GMT -5
Giant 'diamond' a fake - Blom
www.miningweekly.co.za:80/article.php?a_id=118467
By: Matthew Hill
Published: 5 Oct 07 - 13:04
The stone that was found at an unnamed mine in the North West province and said to be bigger than the Cullinan diamond, the biggest in the world, is not a diamond, bringing over a month of speculation to an end, Mining Weekly Online can on Friday reveal.
The stone was tested on Friday by a party including a journalist, and tested negative to being a diamond, President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses Ernest Blom said in a telephone interview.
He said that the journalist concerned had shown him a photo of the stone, which was a "replica" of a diamond.
Further, Blom had withdrawn from the process of verifying the stone after the parties involved did not give him what he had requested for over a month.
'Lump of resin'
More astonishingly, Brett Jolly, the person who first claimed the find said that he did not want anything more to do with it, and that he "doesn't care anymore if it's a diamond or not".
Speaking in a telephone interview from Potchefstroom with Mining Weekly Online, he confirmed that he had tested the alleged diamond with a journalist yesterday, but that what the miners who had found the stone had brought to be tested was a "disgusting lump of resin".
He did say that the test came out negative.
Further, Jolly added that he wished he "never was involved with it in the first place".
He said that what the journalist tested was not "definitely not the stone" that he had seen pictures of.
The journalist believed to have tested the stone was not immediately available to confirm that she had tested it.
Offer declined
On Monday, Brett Jolly offered Mining Weekly Online the opportunity to test the stone, on condition that the publication sign a nondisclosure agreement that could see him suing the company for R10-million if it disclosed any information on the stone before receiving written confirmation.
Mining Weekly Online declined the offer.
Sounded 'fishy' from the start
Meanwhile, former top diamond analyst James Allan said that the claimed diamond find "sounded fishy right from the start".
He said that the location of the mine, in the North West province, and the size of the stone made it "highly unlikely" that it was a diamond.
When the reports of the find first came out, on August 27, industry officials were highly sceptical.
'Cullinan lives forever'
Meanwhile, De Beers was glad to hold onto its title of having found the biggest diamond ever discovered, the Cullinan.
"The Cullinan lives forever," spokesperson Tom Tweedy said on hearing the news.
"The search for diamonds is so romantic," he stated over the phone. "This does illustrate that diamonds hold a mystique with people."
www.miningweekly.co.za:80/article.php?a_id=118467
By: Matthew Hill
Published: 5 Oct 07 - 13:04
The stone that was found at an unnamed mine in the North West province and said to be bigger than the Cullinan diamond, the biggest in the world, is not a diamond, bringing over a month of speculation to an end, Mining Weekly Online can on Friday reveal.
The stone was tested on Friday by a party including a journalist, and tested negative to being a diamond, President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses Ernest Blom said in a telephone interview.
He said that the journalist concerned had shown him a photo of the stone, which was a "replica" of a diamond.
Further, Blom had withdrawn from the process of verifying the stone after the parties involved did not give him what he had requested for over a month.
'Lump of resin'
More astonishingly, Brett Jolly, the person who first claimed the find said that he did not want anything more to do with it, and that he "doesn't care anymore if it's a diamond or not".
Speaking in a telephone interview from Potchefstroom with Mining Weekly Online, he confirmed that he had tested the alleged diamond with a journalist yesterday, but that what the miners who had found the stone had brought to be tested was a "disgusting lump of resin".
He did say that the test came out negative.
Further, Jolly added that he wished he "never was involved with it in the first place".
He said that what the journalist tested was not "definitely not the stone" that he had seen pictures of.
The journalist believed to have tested the stone was not immediately available to confirm that she had tested it.
Offer declined
On Monday, Brett Jolly offered Mining Weekly Online the opportunity to test the stone, on condition that the publication sign a nondisclosure agreement that could see him suing the company for R10-million if it disclosed any information on the stone before receiving written confirmation.
Mining Weekly Online declined the offer.
Sounded 'fishy' from the start
Meanwhile, former top diamond analyst James Allan said that the claimed diamond find "sounded fishy right from the start".
He said that the location of the mine, in the North West province, and the size of the stone made it "highly unlikely" that it was a diamond.
When the reports of the find first came out, on August 27, industry officials were highly sceptical.
'Cullinan lives forever'
Meanwhile, De Beers was glad to hold onto its title of having found the biggest diamond ever discovered, the Cullinan.
"The Cullinan lives forever," spokesperson Tom Tweedy said on hearing the news.
"The search for diamonds is so romantic," he stated over the phone. "This does illustrate that diamonds hold a mystique with people."
