Premier Diamond Mine Surface Tour
When diamonds were first discovered in about 1888 in the river systems east of where Cullinan is today, a fascinating history began which led to the discovery of Premier Mine (now Cullinan Diamond Mine). The mine was discovered on a farm called Elandsfontein, owned by Willem Prinsloo. Thomas Cullinan bought the farm and soon after, in 1902, the Premier Diamond Mining Company was registered. Prospecting began without delay and mining began the following year. In 1905, one of the greatest events in diamond history took place when an enormous diamond, weighing 3106 carats, was found. It was named after Thomas Cullinan and still remains the largest diamond ever found.
After the horror of World War 2 came to an end in 1945, Premier was reopened but took 10 months to pump out around four billion liters of water that had accumulated in the mine’s 189m-deep pit over it’s 14 dormant years. At this time Premier began its foray into underground mining and a prosperous n ew period had begun. In 1977 the Premier (Transvaal) Diamond Company was amalgamated into De Beers Consolidated and a breath of fresh air blew through the mine. The mine is still fully operational today and Cullinan Mine, owned by De Beers, is the source of some of the world’s largest gemstones such as the Cullinan, Premier Rose, Niarchos, the Centenary and the Golden Jubilee.
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