LOCATION
Kimberley Big Hole is part of the Diamond Route and
is located in Kimberley, Northern Cape, the diamond
town of old, full of history, historical and cultural
sites.
ABOUT KIMBERLEY BIG HOLE
Kimberley is the capital of the Northern Cape and
as such it is fast reclaiming the prominence it had
in the late 1800s.
About 150 years ago, the site of the Big Hole was a
featureless, flat-topped hill. When word spread that
diamonds had been discovered, thousands of prospectors,
armed with nothing more than picks, shovels and hope,
descended on Kimberley and created the largest hand-dug
excavation in the world.
A tour of the Big Hole in Kimberley is already interesting,
but the new exhibition centre will put you right back
in the Diamond Fields of long ago.
Digging commenced at the Kimberley mine site in 1871.
By the time mining ended on 14 August 1914, the mine
had yielded 2722 kilograms of diamonds, extracted from
22,5 million tons of excavated earth. Today what remains
is a massive crater 214 meters deep with a surface
area of 17 hectares and a perimeter of 1,6 km. It is
surrounded by original buildings from the heyday of
the mine, relocated from earlier sites to form an unforgettable
open air visitor experience.
De Beers has been mining in Kimberley for more than
120 years. The recent closure of underground operations
at Kimberley Mines marked the end of underground mining
in Kimberley, as we know it. De Beers’ presence
in Kimberley continues, however, in the processing
of the tailings resources through the multi million
rand Combined Treatment Plant, as well as the Big Hole
Project, a unique and exciting way for De Beers to
invest in tourism activities, ultimately supporting
the communities that surround Kimberley Mines.
Through an investment by De Beers Consolidated Mines,
numerous new attractions had been added to the Big
Hole facility in order to provide a world-class tourist
destination, providing unique insights into diamonds,
diamond mining and the process of recovering rough
diamonds right through to the polished gem found in
today’s exquisite pieces of jewelry.
With the development and ongoing improvements to the
N 12 national road, visitors are encouraged to take
an alternative route through the breathtaking Northern
Cape and to come and explore the wonderful attraction
that is the Big Hole in Kimberley.
The Big Hole facility also has numerous shops catering
for all tastes, whether one wishes to buy a diamond
ring, a semi-precious stone, leather goods or even
a small memento to remind them of their visit to Kimberley.
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