The Baken

diamond mine There are a limited number of commercially available diamond mines currently operating in the world, with the 50 largest mines accounting for approximately 90% of global supply. Diamonds are also mined alluvially over disperse areas, where dia ...

is a

diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, b ...

mine located along the lower

Orange River The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch: ''Oranjerivier'') is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of , the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibia to the north ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

. The mine is owned and operated by Lower Orange River Diamonds. The central processing plant has been operational at Baken since 2001. In 2004 the Baken mine produced ; average stone size for the year was . Notable stones from production in 2004 included a , D colour flawless diamond that sold for over $1.8 million

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

; and a pink diamond sold for over US$1.0 million. Probable reserves are 21.2 million cubic meters of ore at an

ore grade Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 April 2 ...

of per 100 cubic metres (3.38 mg/m³). There is a waste rock

overburden In mining, overburden (also called waste or spoil) is the material that lies above an area that lends itself to economical exploitation, such as the rock, soil, and ecosystem that lies above a coal seam or ore body. Overburden is distinct from tai ...

of about 33 million cubic metres.

References

* Trans He

Diamond mines in South Africa Economy of the Northern Cape Geography of the Northern Cape Surface mines in South Africa Namakwa District Municipality {{SouthAfrica-geo-stub