From Mine to Market - the Diamond Story
- Behance.netProject Featured On:Behance.net — 2/1/12
- A Diamond Story
Case Study | 'From Mine to Market' and 'The Select Diamantaire' - Q: How do you tell the complete story of how a rough diamond is transformed into the more familiar precious, polished gem?
A: Journey to the frozen tundra of northern Canada and follow the trail of the diamond around the world from 'mine to market' - photographing everything along the way.Tom Ancona of Ancona + Associates, inc in Portland, Oregon, commissioned James Bareham to photograph two photo-essays: One documenting the journey made by a raw diamond from 'Mine to Market' and the second, a behind-the-scenes reportage of the world of the Select Diamantaire.
The project began at the Diavik Diamond Mine, 300 miles north of the town of Yellowknife, deep in the Northwest Territories of Canada. This mine - carved out of the granite on reclaimed land from Lac de Gras - is one of the richest in the world. From Canada, the the team moved into the polishing rooms of the diamontaires on 47th Street New York, and then onto the cutting and polishing factories of Mumbai, India. Throughout the duration of the project, the team visited the Rio Tinto offices in Antwerp three times. Arguably the most important location of all; Antwerp has been the worldwide centre of the diamond business for past several hundred years.
In all, the shoot took more than six months to complete - not including the weeks spent retouching and grading all of the images. The resulting photographs were incorporated into two books, a web site and various other pieces of promotional material. 
Fishing Shack - Yellowknife, Canada
The Town of Yellowknife
Lac de Gras, Canada
Caribou Herd, Lac de Gras
The Dyke, Diavik Diamond Mine- Ore Truck - Diavik Diamond Mine
- Diavik Rough Diamonds - Yellowknife
- Cut Diamond - Mumbai, India
- Diamond Polishing - Mumbai, India
- 56 Carat Rough Diamond - 47th St, NY
- Rough Polishing - Antwerp, Belgium
- Diamond Polishing - Antwerp, Belgium
- Expert Repairsman - 47th St, New York
- Expert Repairsman - 47th St, New York
- Expert Polisher - 47th St, New York
- Small Cut Diamonds - Antwerp, Belgium
- Diamond Polishing - Antwerp, Belgium
- Rough Diamonds - Mumbai, India
- Maccle Rough Diamonds - Yellowknife
Multiple Owners
Multiple Owners
Multiple Owners
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