South African Diamond Mines

The Kaapvaal Craton in central South Africa was blessed with some of the richest diamond-bearing kimberlite dykes on planet earth. Kimberley, the present capital of Northern Cape provence in South Africa, started out as a mining/boom town, becoming ground-zero for the historic South African diamond industry.

It all started in 1866 on a farm near Hopetown, a young shepherd named Erasmus Jacobs found a small white pebble along the bank of the Orange River. That white pebble was passed on to a neighboring farmer named Schalk van Niekerk who sent it to Grahamstown to be identified by a Dr W.G. Atherstone. The pebble turned out to be a 21.25 carat diamond, dubbed the "Eureka."

In 1870, diamond diggers discovered stones at the Bultfontein, Du Toits Pan, and Vooruitzight farms, and in 1871, an 83.50 carat diamond was found on the slopes of Colesberg Kopje, leading to the first 'diamond rush' into the area. Miners began arriving by the thousands, and the hill at Colesberg Kopje began to disappear, replaced by a gigantic open-pit mine that became known as the "Big Hole".

Kimberley began as a town called "New Rush" and was renamed Kimberley on June 5th 1873. Kimberley was named after the British Secretary of State of the Colonies, John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley. A diamond trader/speculator from England, named Barney Barnato systematically bought up pieces of the Big Hole to eventually create the 'Kimberley Central Mine.'