7/25/2023 0 Comments Diamond rush africa born![]() ![]() When work on the mine was suspended on 14 August 1914, a total of 22,5 million tons of earth had been excavated, yielding 2 722 kilograms of diamonds. Mined to a depth of about 240 metres, and with a surface area of about 17 hectares and a perimeter of about 1,6 km, it is the largest hand-dug excavation in the world. Around the verges of 'The Big Hole' buildings sprang up and kept on expanding. It was here that the famous 'Star of Africa' was found, a magnificent 83,5 carat diamond. In fact the biggest man-made hole in the world. When the hill had been dug away they simply carried on digging. Within a few months there were over 30 000 men toiling in an area roughly 300 m by 200 m. In 1871 diamonds were discovered on a small hill known as Colesberg Kopje. Cecil John Rhodes and Charles Rudd gained control of both mines and merged them, forming De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited in 1888, the company which today controlls virtually all diamonds on Earth. Two big mines formed: the De Beers and Kimberley mines. They sold the farm, and although they did not become the owners of the mines, one of the mines inherited their name. In 1871 diamonds were discovered on the farm of Johannes Nicolaas and Diederik Arnoldus de Beer. At first called “New Rush”, the name of the town was changed to Kimberley in 1873, in honour of the Earl of Kimberley, the British Secretary of State for the colonies at the time. By 1872, a mining town, home to more than 50 000 people, had grown where once only the springbok roamed. Against an unlikely backdrop of heat, dust, flies and a jumble of tents and shacks, spacious homes began to rise from the veld.ĭevelopment started in 1871, when diamond deposits were found on the farm Vooruitzig, which belonged to the De Beers brothers. Many emerged from obscurity to achieve fame, and in some cases, notoriety. ![]() Some struck it rich others found only despair. Without the frenzied pace of larger cities, this city offers the lessons learned from the past, the convenience of modern facilities and the promise of a bright future, as its people rally round to ensure its growth and prosperity.Īlthough the name Kimberley evokes images of glamour and romance, the diamond heyday was an era of blood, sweat and tears, high stakes and ruthless power struggles. Kimberley, the capital of the Northern Cape, is also often called the Diamond Capital of the World and the 'City of Diamonds'. ![]()
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