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Diamonds surface

The polar bear logo, laser-etched on diamonds belonging to Sirius Diamonds, was instrumental in recovering a box of diamonds that went missing last year from Yellowknife. As Maria Canton reports, the diamonds turned up in Vancouver this week and are now in the possession of the RCMP

Maria Canton
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 23/01) - A package of missing Northern diamonds has resurfaced in Vancouver after a man attempted to sell a West Coast jeweller four of the loose, cut and polished gems -- laser-etched with polar bears.

Timeline

  • Dec. 5, 2000 -- Sirius Diamonds reported to Yellowknife RCMP and Air Canada that a package containing 21 diamonds valued at $100,000 had failed to arrive in Vancouver.

  • March 16, 2001 -- A person offered to sell four cut and polished diamonds to a Vancouver jeweller. The jeweller saw the polar bear logo laser-etched on the diamonds and contacted Sirius. The company's president Stephen Ben-Oliel called RCMP. A search turned up 14 more cut and polished diamonds with the polar bear logo.

  • Present -- Three diamonds are still missing. RCMP in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond are investigating.


    • The diamonds are from a box of 21 finished gems, worth an estimated $100,000. The box went missing on Dec. 5, 2000 while being shipped by air cargo from the Sirius Diamonds cutting and polishing plant in Yellowknife to the company's head office in Vancouver.

    Three diamonds are still missing.

    At the time of the diamond heist, reportedly the North's first and Canada's largest, company officials expressed little hope of ever getting the gems back.

    "The RCMP told us (the diamonds) would never have been recovered without the (polar bear) trademark," said Stephen Ben-Oliel, president of Sirius.

    All Sirius diamonds are etched with a microscopic polar bear and an identification number.

    Last Friday, March 16, Ben-Oliel said four diamonds were offered to a Vancouver jeweller, who happened to be a Sirius client.

    The person trying to sell the diamonds said they were found in a bubble envelope on the street. The jeweller noticed the laser-etched polar bear logo and called Sirius.

    "We then contacted the RCMP, who went to the jeweller, who knew the identity of the person and the police then went to the residence of the person and found more diamonds," said Ben-Oliel. No charges have been laid and no arrests have been made, according to Richmond RCMP, who are handling the case.

    "I can confirm that we are involved in a case that involves the recovery of (Sirius) diamonds, but because of the sensitivity of the case I can't comment any further," said Const. Peter Thiessen, media relations officer for the Richmond detachment. Thiessen wouldn't confirm if a search warrant had been obtained and a residence searched, but Ben-Oliel did.

    Police would only say a "person" was under investigation.

    Air Canada and Canadian North were responsible for carrying the diamonds to Vancouver. Officials for both companies declined comment on the recovery of the gems. After the diamonds went missing, Sirius switched to Brinks Canada for transportation of the gems. That isn't expected to change.

    "The service is as good and the security is better," said Ben-Oliel.

    Sirius ships about $1 million in diamonds a month from Yellowknife to Vancouver.