Triumphrat

DaveB · 06-24-2009, 05:26 PM

The Premier Diamond Mine, located in the town of Cullinan a few kilometres east of Pretoria, is often simply called the Cullinan Mine. The place is named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the original mine owner. It’s about an hour and a half’s ride from Johannesburg. This mine produces about 1,000,000 carats of diamonds annually which is not a particularly high yield. 1 carat = 200 mg. Therefore 1M carats = 200kg. Approximately 80% of the output comprises industrial diamonds, with the remaining 20% being gem quality diamonds. It employs just 1,200 people. The mine was sold to Petra Diamonds last year by De Beers.

However, this single mine has produced over 25% of all the 400+ carat diamonds ever found. Probably its most famous stone is the Cullinan Diamond (over 3,100 carats) which was mined in 1905. The major diamonds cut from this stone are part of the British Crown Jewels with the ‘Star of Africa’ topping the royal sceptre & the ‘Lesser Star of Africa’ adorning the imperial state crown.

Star of Africa (530 carats)

The mine has produced other notable diamonds over the years such as the Golden Jubilee and the Millennium Star.

More recently a rare blue diamond of just 7.03 carats from the Premier Mine smashed the all time price per carat record when the buyer paid over $ 9.4 Million for it only last month. The new owner named it the ‘Star of Josephine’.

When I lived in England my parents took me, as a young boy of 6 or 7, to visit the Tower of London. I well remember the Beefeaters, the ravens, the torture chambers & the Crown Jewels. Apart from the occasional state function, the Crown Jewels are permanently on display at the museum in the Tower. Well, having seen these magnificent diamonds as a kid I thought that now would be a good time to go on a tour of the mine where the Cullinan Diamond was found.

DaveB · 06-24-2009, 05:34 PM

This report is more about the destination rather than the trip itself. I set off last Saturday morning and travelled across the monotonous veld which this time of year is brown & featureless, being in the middle of our dry season.

There was some early morning mist around and it was pretty cold

It soon brightened up & warmed up. I’ve noticed that in some literature Cullinan is still described as a village, but it has definitely grown in to a small town over the years

It has pleasant tree lined streets which will be lined with parked motorcycles the following morning, the place having become a favourite destination for the Sunday breakfast run.

DaveB · 06-24-2009, 05:41 PM

It’s a very laid back town & it’s a pleasure just to stroll around

A new housing development advertisement. ZAR 980,000 = approx. $ 120,000.

Much of the architectural style is original or pseudo Edwardian. Cafes and gift shops abound.

DaveB · 06-24-2009, 05:52 PM

All mines are ugly IMO & even diamond mines are no exception. A view of Premier from a distance

The mine surface tour starts with a 10 minute video and is a guided walking tour.

Diamonds are formed at a depth of 120 to 200 km below the earth’s surface and they are 100% carbon. The right combination of temperature, pressure & chemistry can lead to carbon atoms bonding and crystallising in to diamonds.

If diamonds are found in river beds & estuaries the type of mining process is called alluvial. Inland mining requires kimberlite pipes to bring the diamonds to the surface, usually by means of a volcano.

Mine entrance

The winder room (sorry the pic is out of focus) showing a ‘Ward Leonard’ type winder manufactured in the UK over 50 years ago & still in full service

DaveB · 06-24-2009, 06:01 PM

The winder moves the ore-carrying skips up and down the mineshaft via the headgear

Spare skips ready to be installed when needed

The original pit (where the Cullinan Diamond was found)

The mine ventilation installation in the background gives an idea of scale

DaveB · 06-24-2009, 06:12 PM

All the mining is underground nowadays. The workings are down to 800 metres below the surface and there are 700 km of shafts & tunnels!

There is a museum at the mine. Obviously all the next few pics are of glass replica stones.

The rough Cullinan- about the size of a clenched fist

The same basic stone with the nine cut diamonds that form part of the Crown Jewels

A statue of Sir T. Cullinan is situated outside the shop

DaveB · 06-24-2009, 06:39 PM

Inside the shop

Many diamonds were on display and for sale. The price is in the region of $ 600 per carat. The diamonds on display had Cullinan’s trademark, the Cullinan Star Cut.

This, in my view, is one of the most informative websites available to anyone wishing to buy diamonds: About Diamond Cuts.

The tour was over. I found it very interesting & there are zero restrictions on photography! The cost was ZAR 60 = US $ 8.

Outside the mine there are static exhibits of some weird & wonderful examples of old mining machinery.

DaveB · 06-24-2009, 06:53 PM

On the outskirts of the town is a cemetery and memorial for the 300 or so prisoners of war who died at the military prison camp during WWII. This prison, Zonderwater, housed in excess of 60,000 Italian POW’s from 1941 to 1947 who had been taken prisoner during the North Africa campaign (el Alamein and so on) & during the smaller Albanian & East Africa campaigns. Upon release around 20,000 former POW’s applied to stay here, with the rest returning to Europe.

I duly departed and took a slight detour through Pretoria, our capital. The city centre is situated in a bowl surrounded by hills. These pics were taken from outside the Union Buildings, the country’s houses of parliament (for 6 months of the year only, because parliament transfers to Cape Town for the other half of the year). The gardens are manicured and open to the public.

DaveB · 06-24-2009, 07:03 PM

This is a replica of the National Monument that stands in the war cemetery in Delville Wood, France, commemorating those who fell during the Great War

It was a pleasant and rather different way to spend a Saturday.

In my next ride report I hope to show a possible reason as to why there are multiple diamond, gold, platinum & chromium mines in this part of the world!

Till then

,

DaveB.

why II · 06-24-2009, 07:22 PM

Thanks Dave.

Most interesting...

why2