Highly diverse diamond sources
South Africa is the country with the most diverse diamond sources in the world. Its large pipes and alluvial deposits are legendary in the diamond industry.
Diamonds were discovered for the first time in South Africa at the end of the 19th century. Currently, 90% of the production of diamonds in South Africa comes from the kimberlite pipes: The Cullinan in 1903, Finsch in the mid-1960s and Venetia in 1991.
The Cullinan mine has produced hundreds of diamonds with a weight between 100 and 400 carats. The mine is also known for producing rare and expensive blue diamonds. In 1905, the mine earned an international reputation with the discovery of the « Cullinan », the world’s largest diamond weighing 3,106 carats.
1986 was the year the “Centenary Diamond” was discovered, a rough diamond weighing 599 carats, named “centenary” to commemorate De Beers’ anniversary.
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