William and Catherine presented with Canadian diamonds

The Duke and Duchess were gifted the jewellery – which was crafted from diamonds mined in the Diavik Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories, and reportedly took 250 hours to make – by territory premier Floyd Roland in the city of Yellowknife yesterday. Both pieces were created by mining giant Harry Winston in a polar bear design intended to resemble the emblem of the 500,000-square mile territory.

Robert Gannicott, the chairman and CEO of Harry Winston, said the gifts were meant to represent the culture of the Northwest Territories with a subtle, understated design. “What we have attempted to do here is to stay away from using large, prominent diamonds,” he explained, “and instead use something that… reflects the sort of design you see in the beadwork and the craftsmanship of the Northwest Territories.”