Cullinan

In 1905 a surface manager at the Premier mine here picked up a stone weighing 3,106 carats - the Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, still unmatched. It was cut into nine major stones, the two largest of which sit in the British Crown Jewels as the Great Star and Second Star of Africa. The mine still works, and it is one of the few places to have produced significant blue diamonds. The village beside it was built for staff in Edwardian style - corrugated iron roofs, verandas, a single main street now full of restaurants and antique shops. Surface tours look into the open pit; underground tours descend into the working mine with kit and a safety briefing, and book out ahead.

History

In 1898 Thomas Cullinan was handed a three-carat diamond found along a farm fence and later bought the land from Joachim Prinsloo's daughter for £52,000; the kimberlite pipe was found in 1902. On 25 June 1905 the surface manager Frederick Wells found the Cullinan Diamond of 3,106 carats here, the largest ever found, which the Transvaal government bought and presented to King Edward VII (Wikipedia, Cullinan, South Africa).

What's there

• The 1905 find - where the largest gem diamond ever recovered came out of the ground.
• The working mine - still producing, including rare blue diamonds.
• The Edwardian village - staff housing with iron roofs and verandas, now shops and restaurants.
• The underground tour - a descent into the working mine, booked ahead.

When to go

All year. Half a day. Underground tours run to a schedule and fill quickly.

What to expect

Underground tours have age and health restrictions and require closed shoes and a briefing. Surface tours are much shorter. The village is small - an hour covers it. The Cullinan Diamond itself is in London, which visitors sometimes expect otherwise.

Nearby

Pretoria is west; the Dinokeng reserve is north.

Key facts