Mineral exploration has long been an active pursuit of both individuals and mining companies in Ontario. In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in prospecting by individuals as a full time occupation, but more especially as “weekend prospectors’’. Accordingly, it was thought appropriate to collect together the reported instances of mineralized fragments dislodged from their bedrock source so that the techniques of tracing such fragments to their source as well as the locations of known fragments would be available to those interested in mineral exploration. 

Wawa has long been a center of mineral exploration activity and diamonds have been reported in the area since the 1930s. However, diamond exploration did not begin in the area in earnest until 1991. In 1993, Sandor Surmacz and Marcelle Hauseux of Saminex began a prospecting program in the area which culminated in their discovery of the “Sandor” diamond occurrence in an outcrop on the east side of the Trans-Canada Highway.