Diamonds this Valentine's Day

This Valentine's Day, thrill her with Canadian ice and she won't leave you cold.

Indulge your lover's fantasy with a piece of "ice" from Canada's Arctic backyard and she will melt. When you give a unique, government certified Canadian diamond, she will be sporting a gem coveted by luxury seekers throughout the world.

These rare diamonds are so precious that: - they were selected by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to be included as part of the 2006 Golden Globe presenter gift bags offered to Jessica Alba, Mariah Carey, Catherine Deneuve, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Renee Zellweger and more. - leading Canadian fashion designer, Paul Hardy, has designed his first collection of haute jewellery using these certified Canadian diamonds. Each unique piece is hand finished in the United States by a team of talented jewellers under the careful guidance of renowned diamond merchant Moshe Namdar of Israel. - renowned fashion designer Kenneth Cole recently used one to adorn a $30,000 Christmas tree topper for an AIDS charity auction in New York. Canada is now one of the top three diamond producing countries in the world based on the value of the stones discovered in the North. But diamonds that are not only mined in the Arctic, but also cut and polished there are in the highest demand. This is because these diamonds carry a certificate of quality and origin issued by the Government of the Northwest Territories through the only certification program of its kind worldwide. Each stone is minutely engraved with a certification number on its girdle and is sold with a signed certificate of origin and authenticity.

For the ultimate statement of pure love this Valentine's Day, ask your jeweller for: Polar Bear Diamond, Polar Ice Diamond, People's Canadian Diamond or Canada Dene Diamonds by Moshe Namdar & Co. (now available in designs by Paul Hardy.)

Another Arctic Valentine's day gift idea is a newly available luxury tour of the Northwest Territories tied to diamond shopping in Yellowknife, the Diamond Capital of North America. Luxury tour operator Horizon & Co. is accepting reservations today for inaugural tours of diamond cutting and polishing facilities paired with romantic dog sledding and aurora viewing adventures.

"Canadian mined, cut, polished and certified diamonds are starting to be used by top designers and are being asked for by celebrities," says Shay Basal of Polar Bear Diamond. "This month, we received a call from an actress nominated for a Golden Globe award who insisted on wearing only government certified Canadian diamonds."

"These diamonds are different and celebrated because of their exceptionally high quality as well as the careful environmental and social standards by which they are produced" says Jacqueline Amato of Moshe Namdar & Co. "And now, they are being used in styles and designs that further distinguish them as diamonds in a class of their own."

Be sure the diamond you purchase is mined, cut and polished in Canada, and carries Government of the Northwest Territories' certification. Visit the new Rare in Nature: Diamonds of the Canadian Arctic website at www.rareinnature.com for more information or email diamonds@rareinnature.com