Diamond rush

A diamond rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a discovery of diamonds. Major diamond rushes took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in South Africa and South-West Africa.

The New Rush market, Kimberley, South Africa, 1873

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]
• In 1908, the discovery of a diamond near Grasplatz station in German South-West Africa led to a diamond rush developing the town of Lüderitz and creating several mining settlements that today are 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][4]

See also

• Gold rush

References

1. Roberts,Brian. 1976. Kimberley, turbulent city. Cape Town: David Philip pp 45-49
2. "Unverwüstliche Felsenkirche zwischen Wüste und Meer" [Indestructible Rock Church between Desert and Ocean]. Gondwana History (in German). supplement to various Namibian newspapers (92).
3. Power, Patrick (9 January 2013). "Arctic Star identifies Diamond Targets for Drilling in the prolific Lac de Gras area, NWT Diamond Fields". Arctic Star Exploration. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013.
4. Danielson, Vivian (11 July 2011). "Randy Turner: Reflections of a diamond industry pioneer". The Northern Miner.