New diamond discovery triggering an onrush of miners seeking their fortune
A diamond rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area where
diamonds were newly discovered. Major diamond rushes took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in
South Africa and
South-West Africa.
Diamond rushes by chronology
In 1871, the discovery of
an 83.50 carat (16.7 g) diamond on the slopes of Colesberg Kopje on the farm Vooruitzigt in
South Africa led to the foundation of
Kimberley Mine, and eventually the town of
Kimberley. This diamond rush was termed the "New Rush",[1] as diamond prospectors were already operating in the country.
In 1908, the discovery of a diamond near
Grasplatz station in
German South-West Africa caused a diamond rush, which led to the development of the town of
Lüderitz and several mining settlements to come into existence - to be abandoned eventually to become
ghost towns.[2]
In the 1990s, several frequency domain heliborne electromagnetic anomalies were discovered by
Charles E. Fipke around
Lac de Gras, a lake in the
Northwest Territories of
Canada. Several mines were established, leading to the Canada diamond rush.[3]
^Roberts,Brian. 1976. Kimberley, turbulent city. Cape Town: David Philip pp 45-49
^"Unverwüstliche Felsenkirche zwischen Wüste und Meer" [Indestructible Rock Church between Desert and Ocean]. Gondwana History (in German) (92). supplement to various Namibian newspapers.