Diamonds Around the World
A Virtual Science Fair Project
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Diamond Production

Country

Diamonds Mined per Year

Diamonds First Found

Major Mines / Mining Areas

Australia

Over 35 million carats 1

1890s, Pilbara Region 1

Argyle Diamond Mine 2

Russia

Over 33 million carats (2003) 3

1953, first kimberlite pipe found in Sakha 4

 

Almazy Rosii-Sakha (Alrosa) 5

Botswana

30.4 million carats  (2003) 6

1967-73 7

 

 

Orapa, Lethlhakne, Jwaneng,  Damtshaa 6

The Congo

19.7 million carats (2001) 8 Loses about $450 million  a year to smuggling (about 1/3 of production) 9

?

 

 

Eastern Kasai Province 9

Canada

12.6 million carats  (2004) 10

1991, Lc de Gras, N.W.T. 10

 

 

Ekati, Diavik 10     

South Africa

11.1 million carats (2003) 8

1867, Orange River, Cape Colony 11

 

 

Premier, Venetia, Finisch 7

Sierra Leone

About 1 million carats (2004) (actual numbers unknown due to smuggling) 12

1930, Gbogbora Stream 13

 

 

Kono and Kenema Districts, Bonthe, Pujehun, Bombali, Tonkolili 14
1 Costello’s Australian Jewellers. The Australian diamond industry.http://www.costellos.com.au/diamonds/industry.html (last accessed March 27, 2006) 

2 Costello’s Australian Jewellers. The Australian diamond industry.http://www.costellos.com.au/diamonds/index.html (last accessed March 27, 2006)

3 TACY LTD. Diamond Industry Consultants. Research Materials: Russian diamond production (updated) December 26, 2004.http://www.tacyltd.com/Research_Materials_Full.asp?id=54645 (last accessed March 27, 2006)

4 American Museum of Natural History. The nature of diamonds [exhibition appeared at the Museum November 1, 1997 – August 30, 1998]. http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/diamonds/russia.html (last accessed March 27, 2006)

5  Mbendi Information Services (Pty.) Ltd. Russian Federation – Mining: Diamond Mining http://www.mbendi.co.za/indy/ming/dmnd/as/ru/p0005.htm (last accessed March 29, 2006)

6 Mbendi Information Services (Pty.) Ltd. Botswana – Mining: Diamond Mininghttp://www.mbendi.co.za/indy/ming/dmnd/af/bo/p0005.htm (last accessed March 27, 2006)

7 Harlow, George E., ed. The nature of diamonds.  Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1998. p.93

8 Mbendi Information Services (Pty.) Ltd. Africa – Mining: Diamond Mining.http://www.mbendi.co.za/indy/ming/dmnd/af/p0005.htm (last accessed March 27, 2006) 

9 Mbendi Information Services (Pty.) Ltd. Democratic Republic of the Congo – Mining: Diamond Mining http://www.mbendi.co.za/indy/ming/dmnd/af/zr/p0005.htm (last accessed March 27, 2006)

10 Natural Resources Canada. Canada: a diamond producing nation.   http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/ms/diam/index_e.htm (last accessed March 27, 2006)

11American Museum of Natural History. The nature of diamonds [exhibition appeared at the Museum November 1, 1997 – August 30, 1998]. http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/diamonds/africa.html (last accessed March 27, 2006)

12 Diamond industry annual review. Sierra Leone 2004. Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada. c2004. p. 3. http://www.pacweb.org/e/pdf/sierraleone_e.pdf  (last accessed March 27, 2006)

13 Diamond industry annual review. Sierra Leone 2004. Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada. c2004. p. 2. http://www.pacweb.org/e/pdf/sierraleone_e.pdf  (last accessed March 27, 2006) 

14 Diamond industry annual review. Sierra Leone 2004. Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada. c2004. p. 3. http://www.pacweb.org/e/pdf/sierraleone_e.pdf  (last accessed March 27, 2006)