Lyla Lindsey
Australia has a long history of mining diamonds, which are formed from carbon crystallising under high pressure and temperature deep within the Earth. Diamonds have been found in Australia since the gold rushes of the late 1800s, with the Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia being the country's most famous and prolific source. The Kimberley region in the north of Western Australia has been a significant source of diamonds since the 1980s, with the Argyle mine producing a range of coloured diamonds, including the famous pink diamonds. Other notable diamond mines in Australia include the Ellendale mine in Western Australia, the Merlin mine in the Northern Territory, and smaller deposits in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Diamond formation | Extreme pressure and heat |
| Diamond varieties | Coloured diamonds including pink, yellow, brown, blue, and white |
| Diamond mines | Argyle, Ellendale, Merlin, Smoke Creek, Bow River, Bingara, Kangaroo Island |
| Diamond mining companies | Rio Tinto |
| Diamond mining techniques | Open-pit mining, underground block cave operations, strip mining, drilling, creek sediment sampling, exploration techniques |
| Diamond mining challenges | Presence of crocodiles, presence of large diamonds that may need to be broken |
| Diamond exports | Australia is a major exporter of diamonds, including rough or uncut diamonds |
| Diamond market | Australia is a source of diamonds for the world market, including the Central Selling Organisation (CSO) |
| Diamond history | Diamonds have been mined in Australia since the 1800s, with the Argyle mine opening in 1983 or 1985 |
| Diamond closure | The Argyle mine closed in 2020 |
| Diamond popularity | Diamonds are highly valued in jewellery, especially for engagement rings |
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What You'll Learn
Diamond mining history in Australia
Diamond mining in Australia has a long history, dating back to the 19th century. Small quantities of alluvially deposited diamonds, also known as alluvial diamonds, have been discovered in the country since the late 1800s by prospectors searching for gold. The famous Eureka diamond, Australia's first recorded gemstone, was discovered in 1867 and weighed over 21 carats in its uncut state.
The discovery of diamond deposits in the country's Western region, specifically in the Kimberley region, played a crucial role in the development of diamond mining in Australia. The East Kimberley region, in particular, is renowned for its Argyle diamond mine, which has been operational since 1983. This mine is located in a remote area, about 3,040 kilometres from Perth, the state capital. The Argyle diamond mine is significant due to its production of rare pink and red diamonds, supplying over 90% of the world's supply. Additionally, it provided a large proportion of other naturally coloured diamonds, such as white, champagne, cognac, blue, and violet. The mine was also notable for being the first successful commercial diamond mine exploiting a volcanic pipe of lamproite.
The Argyle diamond mine was the world's largest producer of diamonds by volume, with a peak production of 42 million carats in 1994. Large-scale, open-pit mining techniques were initially used to extract diamond ore, but the mine later transitioned to an underground block cave operation. The block cave mining method involves undercutting the ore body and allowing it to break up or 'cave' under its own weight, proving to be a safe and economical approach.
Another notable diamond mine in Australia is the Ellendale diamond mine, also located in Western Australia. This mine has gained prominence as a leading source of extremely rare yellow diamonds, known as 'fancy' diamonds. The major diamond pits, E4 and E9, started mining in the 2000s, with the E9 pit commencing operations in 2002 and the E4 pit following in 2006.
The Merlin diamond mine in the Northern Territory is also noteworthy, as it produced the largest diamond found in Australia to date, weighing 104.73 carats.
The diamond mining industry in Australia has contributed significantly to the country's reputation as one of the top natural resource producers in the world. The discovery and development of mines, such as Argyle, Ellendale, and Merlin, have positioned Australia as a key player in the global diamond market, especially in the supply of rare and coloured diamonds.
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Diamond mining processes
- Exploration and Sampling: Before mining can begin, potential diamond-bearing areas must be identified through exploration techniques such as creek sediment sampling, geological surveys, and drilling exploratory holes. In the case of the Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia, creek sediment sampling and other exploration techniques in the 1970s led to the discovery of diamond-bearing pipes at Ellendale and Argyle.
- Open-Pit Mining: Large-scale, open-pit mining involves removing layers of soil and rock to expose the diamond-bearing ore. This method was initially used at the Argyle mine before transitioning to an underground block cave operation.
- Underground Mining: In some cases, diamonds are extracted through underground mining operations. This involves creating tunnels and shafts to reach the diamond-bearing ore bodies. Underground mining methods can include drift mining, stoping, and block caving.
- Processing: Once the ore is extracted, it is transported to a processing plant. The ore is crushed into smaller fragments to release the diamonds. The crushed ore is washed and fed through vibrating screens to separate the diamonds by size. Further processing may include X-ray sorting, density separation, and hand-picking to identify diamonds.
- Alluvial Mining: Alluvial diamonds are those that have been eroded and transported by water from their original location. Alluvial mining involves mining sediment along riverbeds, coasts, or seabeds where diamonds may have accumulated. This method was used at Smoke Creek and Bow River near the Argyle mine, where excavators and mobile screening plants were used to process the sediment.
- Marine Mining: In some cases, diamonds are mined from the ocean floor. This method was used in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, where scuba divers collected diamond samples from the seabed using shark cages for protection against crocodiles.
Australia has a long history of diamond mining, with a variety of mines located in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. The Argyle diamond mine, in particular, has been a significant contributor to Australia's diamond exports, especially pink diamonds, before its closure in 2020.
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Diamond varieties in Australia
Australia is a major exporter of natural resources, including beautiful minerals such as opals, pearls, sapphires, and diamonds. The vast Australian landscape offers a variety of diamonds, symbolic of the country's unique ecosystem. Diamonds are made of pure carbon in a crystallised form and are famous for their sparkle. They are the hardest natural mineral on Earth, rating a 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
The Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia is the country's most well-known diamond mine and has supplied around 90% of the world's pink diamond supply since the late 1980s. The Argyle mine produces diamonds in a variety of colours, from white (colourless), yellow, and brown ('champagne' and 'cognac') to rare pinks and blues. The Kimberley region in northern Western Australia has been a significant source of diamonds since the 1980s, with the Argyle mine being the world's largest volume producer of diamonds, supplying a third of the global supply annually.
The Ellendale mine in the west Kimberley region of Western Australia and the Merlin mine in the Northern Territory are also significant diamond producers. These mines have a higher proportion of gem-quality diamonds than Argyle, but they are currently not in operation. Small resources of alluvial diamonds have been worked at Smoke Creek (Argyle Alluvials) and the Bow River Mine near the Argyle mine.
Diamonds have also been mined in other areas of Australia, such as the Bingara region of New South Wales and Kangaroo Island in South Australia since the 1800s. These Australian diamonds, with their unique colours and origins, are a true conversation piece and highly valued in the jewellery industry.
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Famous diamond mines in Australia
Australia has been a producer of diamonds since the nineteenth century. The country's first diamond discovery was recorded in New South Wales in 1851, coinciding with the gold rush in the region. The most famous diamond mine in Australia is the Argyle Diamond Mine, located in the remote northeast of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Argyle was the world's largest diamond producer by volume at times, although the proportion of gem-quality diamonds was low. It was the only significant source of pink and red diamonds, producing over 90% of the world's supply. Argyle also provided a large proportion of other naturally coloured diamonds, including white, blue, cognac, champagne, and rare blue diamonds.
The Argyle Diamond Mine was discovered in 1979 and started production in the early 1980s. It is located in the East Kimberley region, southwest of Lake Argyle in the Matsu Ranges. The deposit contains some of the highest diamond grades in the world, and Argyle sells 100% of its product directly to the world market. Most of Argyle's diamonds are sold as ""rough" or uncut, and about 5% are gemstone quality. The mine is unique in that it produces a dependable supply of rare pink to red diamonds. The mine is also notable for being the first successful commercial diamond mine exploiting a volcanic pipe of lamproite.
The Argyle Diamond Mine ceased operations in November 2020 after 37 years of production, yielding more than 865 million carats of rough diamonds. The closure of the mine is expected to continue through 2025, with plans to decommission and rehabilitate the site. Rio Tinto, the operator of the mine, retained control of the Argyle Pink Diamonds brand and has been working to ensure its continued presence in the market.
Another notable diamond mine in Australia is the Merlin Mine in the Northern Territory, which produced the largest diamond found in the country to date, weighing 104.73 carats. Significant quantities of diamonds have also been mined from alluvial deposits in Copeton and Bingara in northeastern New South Wales, with minor production resuming in 1997. The Eureka Diamond, Australia's first gemstone, was discovered in this region in 1867 and weighed over 21 carats in its uncut state.
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Diamond-bearing regions in Australia
Australia is a major exporter of natural resources, including beautiful minerals such as opals, pearls, sapphires, and diamonds. Diamonds have been mined in Australia since the 1800s, with the first records of diamonds in the country dating back to 1851 in the Bathurst area of New South Wales.
The Argyle diamond mine in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia is the country's most well-known diamond mine and has been operational since 1985. It is considered the world's largest volume producer of diamonds, supplying one-third of the world's diamonds annually. The Argyle mine is particularly known for its production of coloured diamonds, including the rare pink and blue varieties. The diamonds at Argyle are believed to have formed around 1.5 billion years ago and are extracted through large-scale underground block cave operations.
The West Kimberley region of Western Australia is known for its diamond-bearing ultrapotassic (lamproitic) rocks, which are inferred to have been derived from the partial melting of phlogopite-rich, metasomatised garnet and diopside-poor lherzolite/harzburgite. The Ellendale mine in the West Kimberley region has produced diamonds of gem quality, with a higher proportion of gem-quality diamonds than Argyle.
The Bingara region of New South Wales and Kangaroo Island in South Australia are other notable diamond-bearing regions in Australia, with mining activities dating back to the 1800s. Additionally, the Merlin mine in the Northern Territory has contributed significantly to the international diamond market, although it is currently not in operation.
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Frequently asked questions
Diamonds have been found all over Australia, but the Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia is the country's most well-known diamond mine. The Kimberley region, in northern Western Australia, has been a prolific source of diamonds since the 1980s.
Australia is famous for its coloured diamonds, especially the much-loved fancy pink colours. The Argyle mine in the east Kimberley produces diamonds that range in colour from white (colourless), through yellow and brown ("champagne" and "cognac"), to rare pinks and blues.
Diamonds are formed deep in the Earth and may have been stored for millions of years before being carried to the surface in rapidly ascending streams of molten volcanic rock. Diamond is the high-pressure form of carbon and generally crystallises at depths greater than 150km below the Earth’s surface.
Diamonds have been mined in Australia since the gold rushes of the late 1800s, though only a few large-scale mines have appeared in the country. Diamonds have been found in smaller deposits in the Bingara region of New South Wales, Kangaroo Island in South Australia, and the Northern Territory.
Large-scale, open-pit mining was initially used to extract diamond ore at Argyle. The mine is now a large-scale underground block cave operation. Broken ore is crushed to fragments measuring around 18mm or less. The crushed ore is then washed in large rotating drums and fed to vibrating, double-decked, slotted screens that sieve out three size fractions.
