True North Gems Inc. has completed the carving of what the company believes to be the largest recorded ruby in the Northwestern Hemisphere. Found in 2005 on the company's property in the Fiskenaesset district of Greenland, the 440-carat rough ruby (see news issued in Stockwatch on Sept.6, 2005) has been meticulously worked to produce a 302-carat jewel of intricate oceanic legends.
True North Gems commissioned world-renowned Canadian master gemstone carver Thomas McPhee to work with the natural structure of the gemstone and produce the first ever carved Greenland ruby. In consultation with gemologists and Mr. McPhee, True North Gems has valued the carving at a half million dollars ($CAN). Due to the hardness of ruby, which is second only to diamond, and the elaborate detail of the carving, it took Mr. McPhee over 10 months to create this truly unique piece.
While the rough ruby was originally announced at 200 carats, as noted in the news issued in Stockwatch, subsequent work in painstakingly removing the surrounding rock during the carving process proved it to be 440 carats.
Additional information on Greenland rubies, technical reports on ruby exploration and other public documents are available at the company's website.