How Are Diamonds Mined in South Africa?
What is called diamond?
Diamond is a mineral resource composed of pure carbon atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic.
Are diamonds available in South Africa?
Diamonds are mined in South Africa, formed somewhere between 600 million and 3 billion years ago when titanic-force pressure and heat caused carbon 1,200 miles (1,931 km) below the Earth’s surface to crystallize.
Where are diamonds found in South Africa?
South Africa’s alluvial diamond-bearing gravels are found at Lichtenburg, Ventersdorp, Wolmaransstad, Barkley West, along the Orange and Vaal River bodies, Limpopo province, the coast of the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces, as well as offshore on the west coast.
Where was the first diamond discovered in South Africa?
The first diamond, which was called “Eureka”, was discovered in South Africa near Hopetown in 1867 that weighs 21.25 carats.
What are the types of diamond mining?
There are three main types of diamond mining:
1. Pipe mining (primary deposits)
2. Alluvial mining (secondary deposits)
3. Marine mining
How are diamonds mined in South Africa?
Blasting is used to extract and loosen diamond-bearing rock, and the ore is loaded onto massive 300-tonne trucks that transport it to a diamond processing factory. The rock is then broken into smaller 150mm pieces. After that, the ore is scrubbed to eliminate any loose surplus particles. The diamond-bearing ore is combined with a solution of ferrosilicon powder and water to form a slurry of a particular density. This solution is fed into a cyclone, which induces a separation by density. High density materials sink to the bottom, leaving a layer of diamond-rich concentrate. After that, the concentrate is screened to separate the diamonds. The diamonds collected in the recovery process are cleaned in an acid solution, washed, weighed and packaged in sealed containers for transport.
What are some of diamond mines located in South Africa?
1. Cullinan mine
2. Venetia mine
3. The Finsch mine
4. Trans Hex mine
5. Lower orange mine
