Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 06/98) - Diamond players around the world gathered in Yellowknife Sunday to offer greater perspective on the North's budding diamond industry.

While no new projects or sudden announcements regarding value-added diamond industries were made on the weekend, key players offered words of encouragement -- and caution.

John Lawrence of Antwerp, Belgium, who has been in the industry for years working closely with De Beers wanted to dispel the notion that it is easy to make money from secondary industries. It's highly competitive, he said.

"If your sights are really set on, say, employing tens of people rather than hundreds of people, then, yes -- go for it and all you have to do is differentiate the product and find a niche market," said Lawrence.

It is still possible to cut and polish diamonds in Yellowknife if the city has a unique marketing plan that doesn't go head to head with the bigger secondary producers in India or China.

"You can't go into a level playing field in the market because I don't think you would stand a chance."

Lawrence is encouraging Northerners and Canadians to invest to learn what the industry is all about.

"Learn, otherwise you'll be stuck here forever. Give it a go," he said.

Franz Van Looy, a spokesperson for Belgium's Diastar Northstar with 25 years of experience in the diamond industry, has set up three value-added factories. He offered encouraging words to the audience at the Explorer Hotel on Sunday.

With the right technology -- which is easily available -- the NWT can make a stab at secondary diamond industries, he said.

"Nothing is easy," said Van Looy. "Then again, we don't want easy things. When it's easy the whole world will want to do it. With the new technology, the NWT can do it."

Filip Zimerman of Zimmy Diamonds in Winnipeg, invited to speak on jewellery making in Canada, boosted spirits when he took the podium on Sunday.

After describing briefly how some types of jewelry is made, Zimerman launched into another speech in hopes of making everyone aware of the full potential of having a diamond mine in the NWT.

"You are very fortunate to have diamonds. Very, very fortunate," Zimerman said.

"If you let this opportunity go by without opening a processing plant, these jobs, these training and future skills, the added development of the new industry, hotels and tourism facilities will all go off-shore to provide jobs for other nations."

"We and our association are here today to offer you knowledge of the industry, training and marketing -- with co-operation from the government -- to make this dream come true. You can count on us. We will work with you," said Zimerman.

During a break in the talks, Zimerman said secondary industries are not as complex as many people think.

"I looked at the whole room and they all are sort of living in a daze and they're looking for a miracle to happen," he said.

"The reality is, there is a place for Yellowknife in this industry. There's a place for the NWT in this industry and I hope a place for Canada."