Yellowknife (Oct 01/03) - A move to new quarters comes at an opportune time for Aurora College's three-year-old diamond cutting and polishing course.

Formerly located on the second floor of the Scotia Centre, the course moved to the college's Partners in Learning building on Franklin Avenue.

Instructor Courtenay Keenan said the move has allowed the college to double the number of students.

"Last year the maximum class size was 12 students and now it is 22," said Keenan. There was a waiting list for spots in the class last March.

Currently, there are 20 students in the course that ends in January. A new session will begin in March 2004.

Mike Botha, who developed much of the course curriculum, played a big role in expanding it to a higher level, but said the resources had to be there in order to do so.

"We had to expand (the course) in scope and in duration," said Botha. "The industry demanded people to be more proficient so we wanted to supply that."

Over the summer, Aurora College doubled the number of cutting and polishing stations so it could accommodate more students.

The course, which is just over five months long, has students undergo training in math and computer skills, on top of their practical and theoretical training focused on cutting and polishing the diamonds.

Student Matt Chimenti, who came from Melbourne, Australia to take the course, said it's an intense program.

"The finished work is truly your product and it can get really stressful," said Chimenti. "The slightest little mistake could cost tonnes of money."

He came to Yellowknife so he could take Aurora's program.

"This was the best place that offered this course," said Chimenti. "It has a huge future here in Canada, especially in the North."