The Early History of Diamonds

The diamond is made of pure carbon. It is the hardest substance known to man. Diamonds are found in South Africa, Brazil, India, Borneo, in the Ural Mountains, and in the United States. In Ancient times the supply of diamonds is believed to have come from India. Diamonds were next discovered in Borneo, and later in Brazil. Brazil began mining diamonds in 1727.

Diamonds were first found in South Africa in 1867. The first diggings in South Africa were along the Vaal River. Miners came from all over the world to search for the stones. The famous rush to Kimberley began in 1870, a Fifty carat diamond was found on the Jagersfontein farm. Then important diamonds were found on the Dutoitsfontein farm, and soon diamonds were also found on the Bulfontein farm just across the highway. These farms leased land to dig to miners. But after these diamond discoveries were made, miners bought the farms, Later the farms were bought by large mining companies.

In 1872 Cecil J. Rhodes went to South Africa on account of ill health. He first visited his brother, Herbert Rhodes, who owned a plantation. Cecil had become interested in mining, and so had his brother. A year later the brother joined up in mining ventures. In the same year, 1973, Barnett J. Barnatto and his brother Kimberly as a buyer of rough diamonds. They soon acquired some property and became interested in mining. They later became known as the DeBeers company.

Since the diamond trade began, the price has never been allowed to break. Even during the commercial depression diamonds retained their value. Only once during 1857 the prices of Brazilian diamonds fell to one half that of the previous year.

The diamond mines of India were principally in the vicinity of Golconda. It was reported that 6000 men were employed in the work. Nowadays the mine is abandoned. Diamond mining is still done today, but only by small scale families who do the work in a very crude fashion. The Ancient India mines came many of the most famous diamonds of the world.

The Brazilian mines were basically only river diggings, which were government property, and worked by basically worked by slaves. The slaves were able to steal a large percentage of all of the diamonds found. The Brazilian diamonds were basically all small stones. Very few Brazilian stones were above fifteen or twenty carats in the rough.

Diamond mining in South Africa was on a much higher level than that of Brazil and India. The newest of mining appliances and machinery was used. The employees mostly native, were made to sign a 3 month contract, and were also checked for disease. Miners were not aloud to were an clothing that could aid them in stealing diamonds. They were watched over very carefully. Once they were admitted into the mines they had to stay in the mine until their work period was over.

The compounds were like prisons, the largest in Debeers. This compound consisted of Four acres enclosed, with ten foot high walls, covered with fine screen wire. The walls and wires were in place to keep workers from throwing diamonds outside of the compound. The miners were built galvanized huts inside of the compound. When a mines contract was up, they were placed in a detention center with only a blanket. Here they were kept for about a week, so that even if they swallowed diamonds it would be impossible to escape with them.

Diamonds are found in what is known as blue ground. The blue ground is about as hard as sandstone. In the mines the blue ground is conveyed to the floor. The blue ground is left for about 3 to 6 months, in order to soften up. The yield of diamonds per load of blue ground is very small, but with the right people no diamonds are lost and the total yield is very large.

Once a diamond mine gets too deep it is considered worked out. In South Africa the Kimberley an DeBeers mines have been dug nearly three thousand feet deep and the heat and dangers of working so deep has made them considered to be worked out.

Diamonds vary in size weight and color. Diamonds are found that are only the size of a pen point. Larger diamonds are also mined. The world famous Cullinan Diamond weighed 3,253.75 carats in the rough. This stone was of fine blue-white color and remarkably free from imperfections. The gem was purchased by the Transvaal Government for $200,000 and was sent to King Edward VII. From the stone came two diamonds that were at the present time larger than any diamond in the world, and several smaller stones.

In addition to the mines in South Africa, diamonds are also found in some of the rivers. The diamonds are found I the river by damming it up, pumping it dry, and dredging it. The river diamonds usually have dull surfaces, due to the constant rubbing of pebbles, and other diamonds. The river diamonds vary greatly in quality.