Diamond Mining In South Africa

South africa in particular has a massive mining industry it is a major source of diamonds gold platinum and coal and is home to most of the deepest mines in the world.

Diamond mining in south africa. Kimberley south africa is home to the world s largest diamond mine also known as the big hole dug by humans and so large it is visible from space the pit has yielded some of the world s largest diamonds and made the de beers name famous worldwide. Mining in south africa was once the main driving force behind the history and development of africa s most advanced and richest economy. Diamond mining in south africa the underground mining and recovery of diamonds continues to this day in the vicinity of kimberley the site of the early main discoveries in the 19 th century. The first diamond discoveries in south africa were alluvial.

Diamonds are often found in the gravel layer which collects under layers of other material such as mud clay and underwater plant life. Since colonialists such as barney barneto and cecil john rhodes took land from indigenous griqua nama batlhaping and other peoples in the kgalagadi desert in 1869 to establish the diamond mining conglomerate de beers kimberley has been the heart of south africa s diamond mining industry. Over the next few years south africa yielded more diamonds than india had in over 2 000 years. Amongst the highest quality gems ever found south african diamonds are typically round dodecahedral stones in high whites pinks and blues.

It is however on limited scale with a major focus on reprocessing old tailings dumps to recover diamonds left behind by older recovery processes. The first diamonds discovered in south africa were from alluvial deposits. South africa s big 3 diamond mines. Today industrial alluvial mining involves building a large wall to collect the water in one area.

Large scale and profitable mining started with the discovery of a diamond on the banks of the orange river in 1867 by erasmus jacobs and the subsequent discovery and exploitation of the kimberley pipes a few years later. With a vast supply of highly sought after raw materials and a relatively low population density considering the space south africa has a thriving mining industry. The story of diamonds in south africa begins between december 1866 and february 1867 when 15 year old erasmus jacobs found a transparent rock on his father s farm on the south bank of the orange river. Gold rushes to pilgrim s rest and barberton were precursors to the biggest discovery of all the main reef main reef leader on gerhardus oosth.