“The diamond, known for a long time only to kings and then to very few of them, has greater value than any other human possession and not merely than any other gemstone.” Pliny the Elder
Did you know that the largest diamond ever found was The Cullinan Diamond? It was discovered in Cullinan, South Africa in 1905. We recently spent some time exploring various attractions in and around Pretoria. One of the places we visited was the Cullinan Diamond Mine where the gem was unearthed. The mine is still operational and it was fascinating to learn more about these precious stones.
Cullinan was founded in 1902 by Thomas Cullinan, a gold and diamond prospector and former builder. He bought the farm for £ 52 000 on a hunch that the area was rich in diamonds, and founded the Premier Diamond Mine. His hunch was proved correct when the mine was an immediate success and all his shafts hit diamond-bearing blue ground, otherwise known as kimberlite.
In 1905, the Cullinan diamond was found protruding from the side wall of the mine pit by Frederick Wells, the surface manager, who was given a reward of £ 2 000 for his discovery. It was the largest rough diamond of gem quality ever found at 3,106 carats.
The stone was so huge that it was cut into nine large pieces and approximately 96 smaller diamonds – including two of the most important diamonds in the British Crown Jewels, the Cullinan I (Great Star of Africa) which is displayed in Queen Elizabeth II’s royal sceptre, and the Cullinan II (Lesser Star of Africa) which forms part of the British crown jewels Imperial State Crown. Both are exhibited at the Tower of London, where we saw them a few years ago. Many other notable diamonds were also found there, and the mine is still the world's main source for rare blue diamonds.
The Premier Diamond Mine was renamed the Cullinan Diamond Mine in November 2003 to celebrate its centenary and in 2008, it was purchased from De Beers by Petra Diamonds.
There are two types of tours – the underground tour and the surface tour. Due to time constraints, we did the latter.
Surface tours are conducted seven days a week at 10h00 and 12h00, and last for 1.5 - 2 hours. We booked ours with Cullinan Tours.
Our tour began with a video presentation about the mine, it’s operations, and the diamonds it’s famous for. We were then given hard hats and vests and led into the mine area by Kobus, our guide.
The houses within the mine gates and many of those on the road outside the mine date back to the beginning of the 20th century, and mine exhibits are displayed both on the mine grounds and along the outer road in designated areas.
There were ten people in our group and we were scanned and sanitised, and our temperatures recorded as we entered the restricted areas, one at a time.
First, we visited the Diamond Display Room where we marvelled at the replicas of some world-famous diamonds while Kobus explained to us how diamonds are formed. We learnt that diamonds were created between 1-3 billion years ago, under intense heat and pressure way below the ground, and they reach the earth’s surface via volcanic eruptions. Botswana, Russia and South Africa are the top 3 diamond-producing countries by value, and no two diamonds are alike!
Then we walked through a life-size “model” underground tunnel, to see the actual shafts and skips in operation. They are responsible for bringing Kimberlite (diamond bearing rock) from over 900 metres under the ground to the surface. The kimberlite is crushed and then processed through the plant to remove lighter particles.
Our last stop was to the look-out point of the Big Hole – where a volcanic eruption took place. Although the Kimberley mine is older, the Big Hole of Cullinan is four times larger than the Big Hole of Kimberley (one of the biggest man-made holes in the world), at 1 km long and 1/2 km wide!
The tour was fascinating and we learnt a lot of interesting things about these beautiful stones. My teenage kids enjoyed it so much that they now want to do the underground tour. Children under 10 years are not allowed to enter the mine though.
The surface tours are R150 per person. The Entertainer app has 2-for-1 offers on the mine tours.
After the tour, you can take a walk around Cullinan. It’s a quaint and quirky town in the North-Eastern part of Gauteng province, which was built around the diamond mine. There is a great vibe there especially on weekends, and you can visit the restaurants and museums like the McHardy House museum – the oldest house in Cullinan – which was built for mine manager William McHardy and his family in 1903.
About the underground mine tours
Underground tours are conducted on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 08h00 and last approximately 4 hours. Children under 16 years are not allowed underground. You are provided with safety clothes and shoes, and taken down to the level of 763 meters. From there, you will visit other levels with your guide, and get to see the ore being tipped, crushed and hoisted up. You will also visit the administration offices and workshop underground. The cost is around R550 - R600 per person.
Have you ever visited a mine? Would you like to visit the Cullinan Diamond Mine ? Let me know below.
Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 50 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.
This is definitely something I would do! I love unique tours, and I've never visited a mine before.
This is a very unique tour. You should do it if you get the opportunity. 🙂
Very cool! I thought diamond mines would be highly restrictive due to how expensive diamonds are!
They are. We didn't get to see the final products, only the surface operations and the replicas. We also had to go through scanners. 🙂
I had no idea you could go on a diamond mine tour!This looks like such a fantastic historical attraction to visit for a few hours - thanks for sharing your experience!
I don't think it's available in many countries. You should do it when you come to South Africa! 🙂