List of diamond mines
Encyclopedia
There are a limited number of commercially viable diamond
mines
currently operating in the world. Diamonds are also mined alluvially
over disperse areas, where diamonds have been eroded
out of the ground, deposited, and concentrated by water or weather action. There is also at least one example of a non-commercial diamond mine (Crater of Diamonds State Park).
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
currently operating in the world. Diamonds are also mined alluvially
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
over disperse areas, where diamonds have been eroded
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
out of the ground, deposited, and concentrated by water or weather action. There is also at least one example of a non-commercial diamond mine (Crater of Diamonds State Park).
Africa
- AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
- Catoca diamond mineCatoca diamond mineThe Catoca diamond mine is the fourth largest diamond mine in the world, and is located in Angola. The mine is owned by a consortium of international mining interests, including Endiama , Alrosa of Russia , Odebrecht of Brazil , and the Diamond Finance CY BV Group...
- Fucauma diamond mineFucauma diamond mineThe Fucauma Diamond Mine is a diamond mine under construction in the Lunda Norte Province of Angola. The mine is owned by a consortium of diamond mining companies, the two largest holders being Endiama with 40 percent ownership and Trans Hex with 35 % ownership....
- Luarica diamond mineLuarica diamond mineThe Luarica diamond mine is a diamond mine located in Angola. The mine is owned by a consortium of diamond mining companies, the two largest holders being Endiama with 38 percent ownership and Trans Hex with 32 percent ownership....
- Catoca diamond mine
- BotswanaBotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
- Damtshaa diamond mineDamtshaa diamond mineThe Damtshaa diamond mine is a diamond mine located in Botswana about west of the city of Francistown. Damtshaa, meaning "water for a tortoise", is owned by Debswana, a partnership between the De Beers company and the government of Botswana...
- Jwaneng diamond mineJwaneng diamond mineThe Jwaneng diamond mine is the richest diamond mine in the world and is located in south-central Botswana about west of the city of Gaborone, in the Naledi river valley of the Kalahari. Jwaneng, meaning "a place of small stones", is owned by Debswana, a partnership between the De Beers company...
- Letlhakane diamond mineLetlhakane diamond mineThe Letlhakane diamond mine is a diamond mine located in Botswana about west of the city of Francistown. Letlhakane, meaning "little reeds", is owned by Debswana, a partnership between the De Beers company and the government of Botswana. It is the second oldest of four mines operated by the...
- Orapa diamond mineOrapa diamond mineThe Orapa diamond mine is the world's largest diamond mine. The mine is located in Orapa, a town in the Boteti Sub-District of Botswana about west of the city of Francistown. Orapa is owned by Debswana, a partnership between the De Beers company and the government of Botswana...
- Damtshaa diamond mine
- South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
- Baken diamond mineBaken diamond mineThe Baken diamond mine is a diamond mine located along the lower Orange River in South Africa. The mine is owned and operated by Trans Hex. The central processing plant has been operational at Baken since 2001....
- Cullinan diamond minePremier MineThe Premier Mine is an underground diamond mine owned by Petra Diamonds. It is situated in the town of Cullinan, 40 kilometres east of Pretoria, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Established in 1902, it was renamed the Cullinan Diamond Mine in November 2003 in celebration of its centenary...
(previously "Premier mine") - Finsch diamond mineFinsch diamond mineThe Finsch Mine is an underground diamond mine, located near Lime Acres, 160km northwest of Kimberley, is one of seven operations managed by De Beers Consolidated Mines , formed in July 2004....
- Kimberley, Northern CapeKimberley, Northern CapeKimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
- Koffiefontein mineKoffiefontein mineKoffiefontein Mine is a diamond mine situated in the Free State province, about 80 km from Kimberley, South Africa. It is one of the many Kimberley mines of which Kimberley mine, de Beers mine, Dutoitspan, Bultfontein and Wesselton are its more famous neighbours.The mine was opened in 1870 and...
- Venetia diamond mineVenetia Diamond MineThe Venetia Diamond Mine is South Africa's largest producer of diamonds. It is situated close to the South African town of Alldays in the Limpopo province and is located within the 360 km² Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve....
- Baken diamond mine
- Other African locations
- Murowa diamond mineMurowa diamond mineThe Murowa diamond mine is a diamond mine located in Mazvihwa, south central Zimbabwe, about 40 kilometres from the asbestos mining town of Zvishavane in the Midlands province. The mine is majority owned and operated by the Rio Tinto Group, which also owns the Argyle diamond mine in Australia and...
, ZimbabweZimbabweZimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three... - Williamson diamond mineWilliamson diamond mineThe Williamson Diamond Mine is a diamond mine south of Mwanza in Tanzania; it became well known as the first significant diamond mine outside of South Africa. The mine was established in 1940 by Dr...
, TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state... - Letseng diamond mineLetseng diamond mineThe Letseng diamond mine, found in the landlocked Southern African kingdom of Lesotho, is owned by Gem Diamonds, Ltd. and the government of Lesotho, and at an elevation of 3,100 m it is the world's highest diamond mine.- Production :...
, LesothoLesothoLesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
- Murowa diamond mine
Asia
- RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
- Mirny GOKMir MineMir Mine also called Mirny Mine is an open pit diamond mine located in Mirny, Eastern Siberia, Russia. The mine is deep and has a diameter of , and is the second largest excavated hole in the world, after Bingham Canyon Mine...
- Udachny GOKUdachnaya pipeUdachnaya pipe is a diamond deposit in the Daldyn-Alakit kimberlite field in Sakha Republic, Russia. It is an open-pit mine, and is located just outside the Arctic circle at . Udachnaya was discovered on June 15, 1955, just two days after the discovery of the diamond pipe Mir by Soviet...
- Mirny GOK
- IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
- GolkondaGolkondaGolkonda or Golla konda a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda , is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad.The most important builder of Golkonda was a Hindu Kakatiya King...
- Kollur MineKollur MineThe Kollur Mine in Guntur district of old Golkonda kingdom, India, was one of the most productive diamond mines in India and the first major diamond center. It is situated on the right bank of the river Krishna. It operated between the sixteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries...
- Panna
- Bunder ProjectBunder ProjectBunder Project is a proposed new diamond mine , located at Janpad Panchayat Buxwaha, Tehsil Buxwaha, District, Chhatarpur India. If the project is approved and proves viable, it could be the "first significant world class diamond mine in India", according to the Rio Tinto Group, who have proposed...
- Golkonda
North America
- CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- Diavik Diamond MineDiavik Diamond MineThe Diavik Diamond Mine is a diamond mine in the North Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada, about north of Yellowknife.It has become an important part of the regional economy, employing 700, grossing C$100 million in sales, and producing 8 million carats of diamonds annually...
, Northwest TerritoriesNorthwest TerritoriesThe Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south... - Ekati Diamond MineEkati Diamond MineThe EKATI Diamond Mine is Canada's first surface and underground diamond mine. It is located north-east of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and about south of the Arctic circle, near Lac de Gras. EKATI is a joint venture between BHP Billiton Canada Inc...
, Northwest Territories - Jericho Diamond MineJericho Diamond MineThe Jericho Diamond Mine is a dormant diamond mine located in Canada's Nunavut territory. Jericho is Nunavut’s first and only diamond mine. It is located northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and is accessible by air all year and by winter road from Yellowknife...
, NunavutNunavutNunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993... - Snap Lake Diamond MineSnap Lake Diamond MineThe Snap Lake Diamond Mine is located about northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and, according to De Beers, was their first mine outside Africa and Canada's first completely underground diamond mine....
, Northwest Territories - Victor Diamond MineVictor Diamond MineThe Victor Diamond Mine is the first Canadian diamond mine located in Ontario, and De Beers' second diamond mine in Canada . It is located in the James Bay lowlands west of Attawapiskat in the remote northern part of the province...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... - Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine ProjectGahcho Kue Diamond Mine ProjectThe Gahcho Kué Diamond Project is located on the Canadian tundra in the Northwest Territories. It is situated at Kennady Lake , in the Akaitcho Treaty 8 Territory AK claim block, which is southeast of the Snap Lake Diamond Mine Project and approximately east northeast of Yellowknife...
, Northwest Territories
- Diavik Diamond Mine
- United States of America
- Crater of Diamonds State Park, ArkansasArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
- Kelsey Lake Diamond MineKelsey Lake Diamond MineKelsey Lake Diamond Mine is a defunct diamond mine in Colorado, USA. It is located in the State Line Kimberlite District, near the Wyoming border, and consists of nine kimberlite volcanic pipes, of which two were open pit mined....
, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
- Crater of Diamonds State Park, Arkansas
Oceania
- AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- Argyle diamond mineArgyle diamond mineThe Argyle Diamond Mine is a diamond mine located in the East Kimberley region in the remote north of Western Australia. Argyle is the largest diamond producer in the world by volume, although due to the low proportion of gem-quality diamonds, is not the leader by value. It is the only known...
- Ellendale diamond mine
- Merlin diamond mineMerlin diamond mineThe Merlin diamond mine is one of only three diamond mines in Australia. The mine is located in the Northern Territory of Australia, about 80 kilometres south of Borroloola...
- Argyle diamond mine
List of diamond mining companies
- ALROSAAlrosaZAO ALROSA , is Russia's largest diamond company. Alrosa is engaged in the exploration, mining, manufacture and sale of diamonds. The company's operations are located primarily in the Sakha Republic/Yakutsk region. Alrosa accounts for approximately 25% of the world's rough diamond supply and 97%...
, operating mainly in Russia - BHP BillitonBHP BillitonBHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
, 80% owner of the Ekati mine - CamphorCamphorCamphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
, 4.9% owner of Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine ProjectGahcho Kue Diamond Mine ProjectThe Gahcho Kué Diamond Project is located on the Canadian tundra in the Northwest Territories. It is situated at Kennady Lake , in the Akaitcho Treaty 8 Territory AK claim block, which is southeast of the Snap Lake Diamond Mine Project and approximately east northeast of Yellowknife... - De BeersDe BeersDe Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
, owner of 20 mines in Africa, 70% owner of the Northwest TerritoriesNorthwest TerritoriesThe Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
Snap Lake Diamond Mine Project, 100% owner of OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
's Victor Diamond Mine Project, 60% owner of the Northwest TerritoriesNorthwest TerritoriesThe Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
' Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine ProjectGahcho Kue Diamond Mine ProjectThe Gahcho Kué Diamond Project is located on the Canadian tundra in the Northwest Territories. It is situated at Kennady Lake , in the Akaitcho Treaty 8 Territory AK claim block, which is southeast of the Snap Lake Diamond Mine Project and approximately east northeast of Yellowknife...
and participant in numerous joint ventureJoint ventureA joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
s worldwide - DebswanaDebswanaDebswana Diamond Company Ltd, or simply Debswana, is a giant mining company located in Botswana, and is the world's leading producer of diamonds by value. Debswana is a joint venture between the government of Botswana and the South African diamond company De Beers; each party owns 50 percent of...
, a partnership between De Beers and the government of Botswana - EndiamaEndiamaEndiama is the national diamond company of Angola and it is the exclusive concessionary of mining rights in the domain of diamonds. Angola's state-run diamond company Endiama produced 8.55 million carats of diamonds in 2010. Antonio Carlos Sumbula is the president of the corporation...
, the national diamond-mining company in Angola and exclusive concessionaire - Harry Winston Diamond Corporation, 40% owner of the Diavik mine
- Petra DiamondsPetra DiamondsPetra Diamonds Ltd. is a leading diamond mining group. It is headquartered in Jersey, and is the largest diamond producer listed on Alternative Investment Market, part of the London Stock Exchange. It currently operates in South Africa, Tanzania, and Botswana, and previously worked on projects in...
, operates in five African countries, mines include the CullinanPremier MineThe Premier Mine is an underground diamond mine owned by Petra Diamonds. It is situated in the town of Cullinan, 40 kilometres east of Pretoria, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Established in 1902, it was renamed the Cullinan Diamond Mine in November 2003 in celebration of its centenary...
, KoffiefonteinKoffiefontein mineKoffiefontein Mine is a diamond mine situated in the Free State province, about 80 km from Kimberley, South Africa. It is one of the many Kimberley mines of which Kimberley mine, de Beers mine, Dutoitspan, Bultfontein and Wesselton are its more famous neighbours.The mine was opened in 1870 and...
and WilliamsonWilliamson diamond mineThe Williamson Diamond Mine is a diamond mine south of Mwanza in Tanzania; it became well known as the first significant diamond mine outside of South Africa. The mine was established in 1940 by Dr...
mines, also the sole operator of the Alto Cuilo project in Angola. - Rio Tinto GroupRio Tinto GroupThe Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
, partial owner of Argyle, Diavik (60%), and Murowa diamond mines - Tahera DiamondTahera DiamondTahera Diamond Corporation was a Canadian diamond mining company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Tahera's Jericho Diamond Mine was Canada's third, and Nunavut's first, diamond mine....
, owner of the Jericho mine in Canada