Diamond rush

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The New Rush market, Kimberley, South Africa, 1873 DF1873 The New Rush market.jpg
The New Rush market, Kimberley, South Africa, 1873

A diamond rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area where diamonds were newly discovered. Major diamond rushes took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in South Africa and South-West Africa.

Contents

Diamond rushes by chronology

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ekati Diamond Mine</span> Mine near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

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Koffiefontein 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagersfontein Mine</span> Biggest hand-excavated hole in the world, South Africa

Jagersfontein Mine was an open-pit mine in South Africa, located close to the town of Jagersfontein and about 110 kilometres south-west of Bloemfontein. Since it was first established, two of the ten biggest diamonds ever discovered, the Excelsior and the Reitz, were mined from Jagersfontein. The term "Jagers" has since been coined to denote the distinctive faint bluish tint of the gems from this mine. Among geologists, Jagersfontein is known as a kimberlite pipe, and a prime locality for mantle xenoliths, some of which are believed to have come from depths of 300–500 km (190–310 mi).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Wars (1879–1915)</span> Series of conflicts

The South African Wars, including but also known as the Confederation Wars, were a series of wars that occurred in the southern portion of the African continent between 1879 and 1915. Ethnic, political, and social tensions between European colonial powers and indigenous Africans led to increasing hostilities, culminating in a series of wars and revolts, which had lasting repercussions on the entire region. A key factor behind the growth of these tensions was the pursuit of commerce and resources, both by countries and individuals, especially following the discoveries of diamonds in the region in 1867 and gold in 1862.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eureka Diamond</span>

The Eureka Diamond was the first diamond discovered in South Africa. It originally weighed 21.25 carats (4.250 g), and was later cut to a 10.73-carat (2.146 g) cushion-shaped brilliant, which is currently on display at the Mine Museum in Kimberley. The discovery of diamonds in South Africa led to the Kimberley Diamond Rush, and marked the beginning of the Mineral Revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugo Dummett</span>

Hugo T. Dummett (1940–2002) was a South African mineral-exploration geologist who is best known for his role in the discovery of the Ekati Diamond Mine in the Barren Lands of Canada's Northwest Territories. Dummett has been described as "the brains, the ideas and the energy" behind the discovery of Ekati, which led to the creation of a new Canadian diamond-mining industry.

References

  1. Roberts,Brian. 1976. Kimberley, turbulent city. Cape Town: David Philip pp 45-49
  2. "Unverwüstliche Felsenkirche zwischen Wüste und Meer" [Indestructible Rock Church between Desert and Ocean]. Gondwana History (in German) (92). supplement to various Namibian newspapers.
  3. Power, Patrick (9 January 2013). "Arctic Star identifies Diamond Targets for Drilling in the prolific Lac de Gras area, NWT Diamond Fields". Arctic Star Exploration. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013.