Where is diamond found in Namibia?

The Tsau ǁKhaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park, formerly known as Sperrgebiet (German, meaning “Prohibited Area”; also known as Diamond Area 1) is a diamond mining area in southwestern Namibia, in the Namib Desert.

Is there diamond in Namibia?

Namibia has the richest known marine diamond deposits in the world, estimated at more than 80 million carats. They represent around 65 per cent of Namdeb Holdings’ total diamond production and 90 per cent of its diamond resources.

How much is a diamond in Namibia?

Namibia Diamond Price Today

Can you still find diamonds in kolmanskop?

Kolmanskop sprang up quickly among the rolling sand dunes, home to several hundred European and Namibian miners. Diamond mining continues in the region but has mostly moved offshore, with deposits now extracted from the seabed just off the coast a few kilometres away.

Can you find diamonds in the desert?

Even now, a large part of the Namibian and South-African desert is exploited for its diamonds. In this area, diamonds are mainly contained in igneous rocks, such as kimberlite vents, which were first discovered in 1869.

Do diamonds wash up on beaches?

But, many of the world’s most valuable raw diamonds travel a much less violent pathway to market. They take a 90 million year waterborne journey, starting from a riverbank in inland South Africa and eventually wash ashore on the pristine Atlantic coastline of Namibia.

Why is kolmanskop a ghost town?

Intensive mining depleted the area by the 1930s, and in 1928, the town’s fate was sealed when the richest diamond fields ever known were found on the beach terraces to the south. The townspeople left in droves, abandoning homes and possessions. By 1956, Kolmanskop was completely abandoned.

Where was the first diamond found in Namibia?

First Diamond of Namibia. A soon as the first diamond was found at Grasplatz along the railway route Lüderitz – Seeheim in 1908 the peacefulness of the desert surrounding Lüderitz came to an end for the time being.

How big is the restricted diamond area in Namibia?

The present Restricted Diamond Area is also called the Sperrgebiet National Park (proclaimed in 2008) and stretches from the southern border of the Namib Naukluft Park to the Orange River, the border of Namibia and South Africa. It covers an area of 26.000 km² and is crossed by the national road B4 from Keetmanshoop to Lüderitz.

Where are the diamond mines in South Africa?

A major diamond rush, located in Lüderitz (in the former German colony of Deutsch-Südwestafrika – German South West Africa) is among Namibia’s most famous diamond sites.

Are there any ghost towns in the Namib Desert?

Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Namib Desert’s arid conditions preserve the lush decorations of the early-20th-century town—but encroaching dunes could soon swallow what remains. In Kolmanskop, the sand-filled buildings of a former diamond mining town attract tourists by the thousands.