How To Get Diamonds In Namibia

What is Diamonds?

Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. At room temperature and pressure, another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon, but diamond almost never converts to it.

How To Get Diamonds In Namibia

In Namibia, Miners build walls or divert rivers to expose the diamond-bearing dry river or ocean bed. Pipe mining has two forms: open-pit diamond mining and underground diamond mining. Open-pit diamond mining is used closer to the earth’s surface, as miners remove the layers of sand and rock just above the kimberlite rocks. Horizontal marine diamond mining uses a crawler to suck gravel from the ocean floor to the surface via flexible pipes, while vertical diamond mining uses a large, ship-mounted drill to pull up the diamond-bearing gravel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are there so many diamonds in Namibia?

Namibia is a Southern African nation with rich diamond reserves. Their production comes mostly from marine sources: diamonds that have been deposited on the ocean floor as a result of river movements and ancient tidal basin flows. There are also a few small, land-based mining operations.

What Rocks are diamonds found in?

Background. The diamond is the hardest natural substance known. It is found in a type of igneous rock known as kimberlite. The diamond itself is essentially a chain of carbon atoms that have crystallized.

Can you buy diamonds in Namibia?

In the past, all diamonds taken from Namibia were cut in other parts of the world. Now, it is possible to purchase a diamond mined and cut in this economically and politically stable African country with an organized diamond polishing industry. These are branded as Kalahari Diamonds.

Can you find diamonds in the desert?

Even now, a large part of the Namibian and South-African desert is exploited for its diamonds. In this area, diamonds are mainly contained in igneous rocks, such as kimberlite vents, which were first discovered in 1869.

Do diamonds wash up on beaches?

But, many of the world’s most valuable raw diamonds travel a much less violent pathway to market. They take a 90 million year waterborne journey, starting from a riverbank in inland South Africa and eventually wash ashore on the pristine Atlantic coastline of Namibia.

Are diamonds cheaper in Namibia?

Equated to other diamond producing countries like Russia and Botswana, Namibia produces considerably less in quantity with just over two million carats in 2019. Botswana in the same year produced over 23 million carats and fetched an average of US$145 per carat compared to Namibia’s average of US$500.25 per carat.

Is there diamonds in sand?

Diamond occurs as a detrital mineral but its concentration in sand is always very low. However, diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes are often found by working through many fluvial sand samples but it is not diamond that prospectors are looking for.

Where was the first diamond found in Namibia?

The official story of Namibia’s diamond history starts in 1908, when a young railways worker, Zacharias Lewala picks up a large shiny diamond whilst on duty near the country’s southern coastal town of Luderitz.

Can diamonds be found in the ocean?

Just off the coast of Namibia, the ocean floor is scattered with diamonds. Real, actual diamonds. Exactly like the ones you’re familiar with—the kind extracted from mines—these stones are billions of years old.

Why are diamonds important in Namibia?

Diamonds have helped to transform the country in a very short period of time. Since the creation of Namdeb in 1994, Namibia has seen its per capita GDP nearly double. With continued exploration and development, the next 30 years could see that happen again.

Are there diamond mines in Namibia?

The Tsau ǁKhaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park, formerly known as Sperrgebiet (German, meaning “Prohibited Area”; also known as Diamond Area 1) is a diamond mining area in southwestern Namibia, in the Namib Desert.

Who found the first diamond in Namibia?

Diamonds were discovered in Namibia in 1908, when railway worker Zacharias Lewala found a diamond that would change the course of history of Namibia.

Are diamonds rare?

Diamonds are not particularly rare. In fact, compared to other gemstones, they’re the most common precious stone found. Generally, the cost per carat (or weight of a gemstone) is based upon a stone’s rarity; the rarer the stone, the more expensive.

Can diamonds be manufactured?

Lab grown diamonds are manufactured using conditions that mimic the natural process that creates earth grown diamonds. This means that carbon is subjected to high temperatures and high pressure in a controlled environment. The end result is a diamond. The process of making a diamond in a lab is much more efficient.

Can diamonds really be extracted from the ocean where how?

This type of vehicle – called a crawler ship – has a 280-ton mechanical arm that moves in a horizontal arc, dredging material from just beneath the sea floor, at depths of around 400 feet. Diamonds are then sifted from the dredged gravel in a sophisticated treatment plant onboard the ship.