An emerald cut diamond valued between $900,000 and $1 million is set to be auctioned in Vancouver on Sunday at the Sutton Place Hotel.

The $2.5 billion deal saw European Goldfields add 6.4% in afternoon trade on Tuesday while Eldorado gained 6% to bring their combined market value to $10 billion.

Chinese coal miners discovered a botanical Pompeii, a 298 million year old forest well-preserved in ash from a sudden volcanic eruption.

On much heavier volumes than usual Grizzly Discoveries shed 3c or 6.52% by midday Tuesday. Before the market open the Edmonton-based company announced a potash discovery near Medicine Hat in Alberta Canada that wasn't as exciting as investors had clearly hoped – drilling yielded potash grades up to 31.1% K2O, but only over 0.3 metres.

In unveiling Canada’s British Columbia’s job-creation strategy last September, the Premier Christy Clark said the government planed to capitalize on high demand for minerals, especially in Asia, by opening up eight new mines in the next four years and expanding nine more by 2015.

A Canadian mining watchdog created by the Conservative government has yet to mediate a single case despite costing taxpayers $1.1 million over the last two years.

The Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines says the government's hike of pre-exploration fees for the majority of minerals – by as much as 8,000% – together with increased royalty rates will cripple the industry.

Elemental Minerals Ltd. (ELM), owner of a potash project in the Republic of Congo, plans to raise about $1.7 billion next year to develop production by 2015, Chief Executive Officer Iain Macpherson said.

Pollution, bribes, more. Nikiforuk pries open the record of China's oil giant, business partner for Northern Gateway pipeline, The Tyee reports.