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landlubberon Feb 06, 2011 7:10am
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Queen of Bling (fluff piece)
Queen of Bling (fluff piece)Welsh mining heiress shines as new 'Queen of Diamonds'
by Robin Turner, Wales On Sunday
THIS is the woman who could soon be crowned the “Queen of Bling”.
Eira Thomas – the 42-year-old daughter of a multi-millionaire Welshminer – has already been hailed the “Queen of Diamonds” for her gemdiscoveries.
But now she is being tipped to one day challenge “King of Bling”jewellery merchant Laurence Graff as one of the richest people in thebusiness.
This is because the Renard diamond field she uncovered in Canada’sCree Indian territory was thought to have been worth about $1.5bn.
But a new estimate issued this week by Canada’s GeoStrat Consulting,puts the potential diamond deposit there at double – with up to 48mcarats of diamonds worth an estimated $3bn.
Philip Beresford, who compiles the Sunday Times Rich List, said Eiracould be well on her way to challenging Graff in the wealth stakes.
London-born diamond merchant Graff, 72, who now lives in Gstaad,Switzerland, is estimated to have a personal fortune of £2.2bn and isone of Britain’s richest men.
Beresford said: “If Eira Thomas makes any more stunning diamondstrikes like this she could start to challenge Graff as one of therichest in the diamond business.”