How a Rogue Geologist Discovered Diamonds

prone2tech writes "Both NPR and Wired are running stories about how nearly two decades ago, a dogged, absentminded Canadian geologist named Charles Fipke who was practically down to his last nickel when he discovered diamonds in the Northwest Territories. Back then there was no such thing as a Canadian diamond, and today, Canada is the world's third-largest producer. The story behind the addition of Canada to the ranks of diamond-producing nations leads back to this one man. His discovery started the largest staking rush in North America since George Carmack found gold in the Klondike a century earlier."

Comments

He's not really a rogue.

[onion2k]

Seems a little unfair to call the guy a 'rogue' or 'absent minded'. He's an intelligent bloke who applied his knowledge and intellect to a problem, spent nearly a decade doing the necessary legwork, and eventually hit the big time when it all paid off. That's not 'rogue' behaviour, that's hard work. I'd have given up. Well done to him. He deserves it.

Re:He's not really a rogue.

[reovirus1]

At the end of the article he sums it up in his own words:

"Here's the thing. I learned that I did my best. I mean, I really tried my best. How many people can say that? I worked hard, and I mean really hard. I worked seven days a week from 8 am until 3 am. Every day. We drilled and drilled all winter when it was dark and the windchill was 80 below. Everyone thought I was crazy. But most people just never do their best, hey. And I did."

Sad that society today would classify this kind of individual as a "rogue".

Re:He's not really a rogue.

[Lord_Dweomer]

Indeed. I mean, for us Americans--isn't this the "American Dream?" Bust your ass for a risky but potentially massive payoff?
This guy is part of a dying breed of explorers that laid the foundation of society as we know it.

Re:He's not really a rogue.

[10101001 10101001]

Sort of. I'd argue that the "American Dream" is about busting your ass on something potentially risky but with a massive payoff. Busting your ass over a known risk is merely working hard and investing in lottery tickets. But, if you bust your ass on something because you believe in it (of course, assuming you're not imagining it), the only real limits should be flukishly bad luck and your willingness to work hard for the end goal. The "American Dream", then, is about the optimism in the belief that the only obstacle to success in one's life is one's willingess to pursue one's dreams. Of course, once you start with a rigged system, then hard work well likely just be idiocy. Perhaps that's the enduring reason why governmental intervention and societal-based progression is so frowned upon.

Re:He's not really a rogue.

[Feanturi]

I'd always thought that the American Dream was actually sitting around on your ass while someone hands you a massive payoff for no reason at all. Or at least, that's how people seem to behave.

Soon to be worthless

[boristdog]

Aaaaand now that we can make pretty much perfect diamonds as large as you want with a fairly inexpensive vapor deposition chamber, all this will soon be no more than a waste of money, time and energy.

I love how the diamond industry used to derogate diamonds with flaws, but now they push them as evidence of "natural" diamonds.

- I can add flaws to the diamonds in the vapor dep chamber, too!

Re:Soon to be worthless

[digitalhermit]

Heheh... I wish.

Soon the DeBeers of the world will start touting the benefits of their diamonds versus the Canadian diamonds. Maybe the Canadian diamonds are too pure, or too northern for diamonds to grow properly.. Or maybe traces of some rare element in the DeBeers mines leads to more beautiful diamonds. Or Canadians speak funny, so their diamonds are gauche.

It's so funny to see when an empire based on marketing slowly crumbles ...

Re:Soon to be worthless

[Lumpy]

Exactly. But diamonds ALWAYS have been price controlled and Over valued.

Anyone that ever thought that diamonds had real value is nuts. If DeBeers did not negotiate a deal with the russians they could have easily decimated the Diamond market to the point that Cubic Zirconias would be worth more.

Diamonds are good for industrial uses. They are retarded for jewelery as they are not rare not valuable.

Re:Soon to be worthless

[thue]

It is not a real diamond unless a pristine natural area has been destroyed while producing it.

Ideally the production of a real diamond should also fund child soldiers conducting a small war in Africa.

And of course the diamond should also have been resold by a monopolistic company.

And finally the diamond should be flawed, to show that it is "real" and "natural".

So keep your cheap flawless manufactured diamonds for yourself. You are suppressing the good old traditional ways with soulless technology!

Re:Soon to be worthless

[Kaeles]

When your wife finds out you spent $5 on a perfect diamond that was made in a lab instead of by the Earths natural and loving embrace, you will find out how loving and warm your couch is...

If your wife is shallow enough to care about the price of a diamond instead of the fact that you thought enough to buy her one, you need a new wife.

Re:Soon to be worthless

[Kingrames]

Because women can't be happy unless they know that thousands of children in Africa died in slavery to produce the expensive ring on her finger?

How about you offer her the flawless ring, and spend the rest of the money on something else.

Re:I would appreciate it...

[Aladrin]

Why does a simple tag get you so riled up?

Seriously. Just ignore it.