Though diamond mines in some parts of the world are exhausted, countries like South Africa, Botswana, Canada, Russia, and Australia still continue to produce the best diamonds in the world. We’ve a list of richest diamond mines that contribute diamonds worth billions of dollars each year.
Let’s learn bit about them today:
1. Botswana
In Botswana there are two world famous diamond mines that produce millions of carats of diamonds each year.
Jwaneng Diamond Mine –One of the largest diamond producers in the world, Jwaneng mine produced an estimated 11.5 million carats in the year 2009.It started in the year 1982 and even today it continues to go strong. This diamond mine is run in partnership between De Beers and the government of Botswana, together known as Debswana.
Orapa Diamond Mine – This mine is also owned by Debswana. From its inception in 1971 till today, Orapa mine has to its credit millions of carats of diamonds. In the year 2010 alone, 9.53 million carats were produced.
Letlhakane Diamond Mine – One of the oldest diamond mines in Botswana, Letlhakane mine is also run by Debswana. This was explored in the year 1975 and is known for the highest quality diamonds that it produces.
2. Australia
Australia’s popular diamond mine, Argyle, makes it to the second position in the world. It is among the best diamond mines in the world.
Argyle Diamond Mine – Argyle diamond mine is located in the northwest of Australia. It opened in 1985 and over the past couple of decades; it has become one of the prominent names in the industry. It is run by Rio Tinto, a leader in the diamond mining world. It is specifically famous for the pink diamonds it produces.
3. Angola
Angola is home for three famous diamond mines Catoca Diamond Mine, Fucauma Diamond Mineand Luarica Diamond Mine. Out of these three, the most famous is the Catoca diamond mines it’s among the richest diamond mines in the world.
Catoca Diamond Mine – Opened in the year 1997,Catoca Diamond mine produced millions of carats of gem quality diamonds. It is owned and run by group of the following –Alrosa of Russia, Odebrecht of Brazil, Daumonty of Israel, and a state-owned company of Angola.
4. Canada
The country is not just beautiful, but also produces beautiful diamonds. Canada is home to two of richest diamond mines of the world.
Diavik Diamond Mine – Diavik mine contributes a good portion of diamond extract to the world. It is also operated by Rio Tinto and is said to have produced about 6.5 million carats in the year 2010.
Ekati Diamond Mine – This is also richest mines located in Canada. Opened in 1998 and operated by BHP Billiton, Ekati Diamond Mine is said to have produced nearly 3 million carats in 2010 alone.
5. South Africa
South African diamond mines and South African diamonds are both well-known in the diamond world. There are about 6-7 mines that produce diamonds in the country, out of which 3 are big contributors. They are:
Venetia Diamond Mine – Venetia mine contributes more than 1/3rd of the total South African diamonds. De Beers owns and runs this mine.
Finsch Diamond Mine – Finsch diamond mine is currently owned by Petra Diamonds. It is one of the biggest and private diamond mining groups in the world. According to Petra in 2010, Finsch has a capacity to produce more 26.6 million carats.
Kimberley Diamond Mine – This mine was run by De Beers until Petra bought from it. It is an important mine in South Africa that produces millions of carats year by year.
Richest diamond mines discussed above are owned or operated by the top miners in the world – the De Beers Group, BHP Billiton, Alrosa, and Rio Tinto. These miners play a great role in producing diamonds and bringing it to the market for consumers.
Sources:
http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-worlds-richest-diamond-mines/20110819.htm
http://247wallst.com/2011/08/17/the-richest-diamond-mines-in-the-world/
Richest Diamond Mines in the World,
