The Cullinan Diamond Mine, previously known as Premier Mine, is a famous diamond mine located in Cullinan, 40 kilometers east of Pretoria, South Africa.
The facility was established in 1903 and, since then, it has delivered more than 750 stones greater than 100 carats and a quarter of the planet’s diamonds weighing more than 400 carats.
The world’s largest rough gem-quality diamond – the Cullinan Diamond – was mined here on January 26, 1905. Its original weight was 3,106.75 carats.
The Cullinan Diamond Mine occupies a total area of 32 hectares.
It is owned by Petra Diamonds (74 percent), Thembinkosi Mining Investments (14 percent), and Itumeleng Petra Diamonds Employee Share Trust (12 percent).
The depth of the current mining is 747 meters, and it should be delivering high-quality gemstones at least by 2060. The Cullinan Diamond Mine uses block cave mining methods.
The most notable discoveries include:
- The Golden Jubilee Diamond (755 carats rough);
- The De Beers Centenary (599 carats rough);
- The Niarchos (426 carats rough);
- The Premier Rose (353 carats rough);
- The Taylor-Burton Diamond (69 carats polished);
- The Blue Moon (12 carats polished);
- The Star of Josephine (7 carats polished);
The total resources of the Cullinan Diamond Mine are 195.4 million carats. Since 1993, Premier Diamond Tours has guided visitors into the heart of South Africa’s premier diamond mine.
