Thursday, May 5, 2005

The depths of the diamond mine

These photos click to larger versions.

Steve gets a miner's suit.

Judy, with the mineshaft in the background, sports her miner's suit, complete with battery pack, oxygen pack and camera.

Walking through one of the many tunnels in the Bultfontein diamond mine. Claustrophobia is a handicap here.

Judy descends the stairway to the lowest level of the Bultfontien diamond mine.

Here we are having a "blast" in the mine. Actually, blasting over 3000 feet below the earth's surface is a memorable experience! During blasting the miners take time out for tea and surreptitiously watch the varied reactions of visitors.

KIMBERLEY, SOUTH AFRICA -- After a long day choosing diamonds with Lester and his diamond craftsmen, we arrived late last evening in Kimberley, where many of the world’s largest and most historic diamonds have been discovered. We stayed at the former home of Sir Ernest and Mary Oppenheimer of DeBeers fame. We even slept in their very room -- but not for long! Bright and early, we headed for Oppenheimer House, where we’d been invited to visit and tour the imposing facility where all of the uncut diamond crystals arrive from the South African mines for sorting.

At Oppenheimer House we observed the processes that a “fresh” diamond crystal undergoes. The batches of crystals are sorted – from large to miniscule, from dazzlingly colorless to grayish or ginger ale tones, from pristine and clear to ones peppered with inclusions or downright black and opaque. Sorting machines, sounding like giant corn poppers, separate the various crystal shapes. The classic octahedra are batched together, as are the more rounded crystals and “flats”. We held in our hand the Eureka, a 10.7 carat beauty and the first major diamond discovered in Kimberley. Sorry, no cameras permitted. But the memorable tour is vivid in our minds.

Following tea with DeBeers dignitaries, we boarded the bus. Next stop, the Bultfontein Diamond Mine. After a short ride we entered the gates to the mining offices and swarmed out of the bus to be fitted with mining gear. “Fitted” is quite a euphemism, as you can see from the photos. The changing room was filled with our giggles and chatter as we donned the vivid orange suits. Each suit has several luminescent stripes that make a person visible in the dark depths of the mines.

Stepping into our somewhat clunky boots and receiving our hard hats, we were ready for our survival belts. Each belt sports two clips for two heavy packs, a battery pack with mine light, as well as an oxygen pack that recycles one’s exhaled breath, removing CO2 and offering a half hour’s supply of oxygen – time enough to make it to the numerous refuge chambers in the shafts.

The elevator chamber that we boarded descended for three and a half minutes, before coming to a clanking stop at level 845 meters, that is, a half a mile below the earth’s surface.  Scotty, a wiry and jovial Scotsman who was our guide, plied us with stories and information, as we tromped through tunnels, descended long stairways, and edged down sloping pathways into the work areas. A veritable community buzzed with mine-sized bulldozers, small railway cars, and the relentless clang of equipment moving and crushing kimberlite, the diamond-bearing rock. There was even a lunch and break room, complete with oven, fridge and, of course, many safety bulletins. When Scotty herded us back into the clattery elevator, after a couple of hours of tromping along the passageways, we were ready for fresh air, sunshine, and a shower!

Judy & Steve

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