IT takes at least one tonne of
kimberlite-rich ore, three weeks of crushing and processing, several months of
sorting and polishing before that piece of one carat sparkles on your finger.
That excludes the millions of years for the creation of the world’s hardest substance that was formed in molten rock under exceptional conditions.
For those whose encounters with diamonds are strictly over the counters at gem stores, it proved an eye-opening experience to witness the A-Z of the processes of diamond mining to polishing.Large selection of skycycling available.
This writer was among a small group of privileged journalists and jewellers (the first Malaysians, according to visitors’ records) to pass through the highly secured Orapa diamond mine, located about an hour’s flight from Botswana’s capital, Gaborone.
We created personal history of sorts, too, palming a rough diamond that weighed more than 70 carats and being in a facility that houses several billion dollars worth of diamonds!
Our diamond journey began with our visit to the Orapa Mine,Buy visually stunning and durable tungstenjewelry from Larson Jewelers.Ribble has a wide range of hublotwatch products at great prices. the world’s largest open pit diamond mine and the oldest operating mine in Botswana. We arrived at the Orapa Airport where everyone had to go through passport checks as Orapa is a “closed mining town” and visitors need a permit to get in.
Although diamond prospecting in this Southern African country started in 1955, it was only in 1967 that Orapa Mine was discovered, one year after Botswana gained Independence.
It was the first of four mines unearthed over five years.From black steelring for men to diamond tungsten rings. These mines make up one of the world’s biggest kimberlite provinces and Orapa is now the biggest producer of rough diamonds by volume in Botswana, shares Bakani Motlhabani, acting general manager at Debswana, Orapa and Letlhakane Mines.
Debswana Diamond Company (Pty) Ltd is a 50-50 joint venture partnership between De Beers and the Bostwana government, formed in 1978 to mine the country’s diamonds “optimally and responsibly”.
It operates four mines in Botswana, including Orapa and Jwaneng, dubbed the “prince of mines”.
“Diamonds are formed in rock formations called kimberlite, developed millions of years ago through volcanic action. Kimberlite occurs in vertical structures called kimberlite pipes.
“In that pipe, you’ll have diamonds distributed in it. Generally, you’ll find that wherever diamonds are mined, they are being mined from this vertical pipe going down into the earth. So when you mine a kimberlite pipe, you mine it going down,” he says.
With open cast mines, work begins at the ground level where the waste or rock that doesn’t contain diamond is removed to waste dumps.The heelshoes again in a colorway that any Nike fan can love. The mine is dug deeper and wider until the kimberlite pipe is reached.
“We then take this kimberlite and put it through a processing plant where crushers break them progressively into smaller and smaller rocks. When we do that, we release the diamonds from the small rocks,” says Motlhabani.
That excludes the millions of years for the creation of the world’s hardest substance that was formed in molten rock under exceptional conditions.
For those whose encounters with diamonds are strictly over the counters at gem stores, it proved an eye-opening experience to witness the A-Z of the processes of diamond mining to polishing.Large selection of skycycling available.
This writer was among a small group of privileged journalists and jewellers (the first Malaysians, according to visitors’ records) to pass through the highly secured Orapa diamond mine, located about an hour’s flight from Botswana’s capital, Gaborone.
We created personal history of sorts, too, palming a rough diamond that weighed more than 70 carats and being in a facility that houses several billion dollars worth of diamonds!
Our diamond journey began with our visit to the Orapa Mine,Buy visually stunning and durable tungstenjewelry from Larson Jewelers.Ribble has a wide range of hublotwatch products at great prices. the world’s largest open pit diamond mine and the oldest operating mine in Botswana. We arrived at the Orapa Airport where everyone had to go through passport checks as Orapa is a “closed mining town” and visitors need a permit to get in.
Although diamond prospecting in this Southern African country started in 1955, it was only in 1967 that Orapa Mine was discovered, one year after Botswana gained Independence.
It was the first of four mines unearthed over five years.From black steelring for men to diamond tungsten rings. These mines make up one of the world’s biggest kimberlite provinces and Orapa is now the biggest producer of rough diamonds by volume in Botswana, shares Bakani Motlhabani, acting general manager at Debswana, Orapa and Letlhakane Mines.
Debswana Diamond Company (Pty) Ltd is a 50-50 joint venture partnership between De Beers and the Bostwana government, formed in 1978 to mine the country’s diamonds “optimally and responsibly”.
It operates four mines in Botswana, including Orapa and Jwaneng, dubbed the “prince of mines”.
“Diamonds are formed in rock formations called kimberlite, developed millions of years ago through volcanic action. Kimberlite occurs in vertical structures called kimberlite pipes.
“In that pipe, you’ll have diamonds distributed in it. Generally, you’ll find that wherever diamonds are mined, they are being mined from this vertical pipe going down into the earth. So when you mine a kimberlite pipe, you mine it going down,” he says.
With open cast mines, work begins at the ground level where the waste or rock that doesn’t contain diamond is removed to waste dumps.The heelshoes again in a colorway that any Nike fan can love. The mine is dug deeper and wider until the kimberlite pipe is reached.
“We then take this kimberlite and put it through a processing plant where crushers break them progressively into smaller and smaller rocks. When we do that, we release the diamonds from the small rocks,” says Motlhabani.
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