Diamond is more common then perceived, although its environment is very limited, and most Diamonds found are not of the gem variety. South Africa was once the largest producer of Diamonds, and has several famous localities. Most notable is Kimberly, specifically the Kimberly Mine (also known as "The Big Hole"). The surrounding area also contains many productive Diamond mines. Two other famous mines in South Africa are the Premier Mine (Cullinan Mine), in Pretoria; and the Finsch mine in Northern Cape province. Namibia (the coastal region), Sierra Leone, and the Congo are also important African producers of Diamond.
Russia has several Diamond pipes in Siberia, in and around the town of Mirny (Mir) in Yakutia (now Sakha) Republic. The nearby pipes of Udachnaya and Internationalaya are also of note. In China, Diamond has been mined in the Chagma Mine, Yimeng Mountains, Shangdong Prefecture. The Argyle mine in Western Australia is the largest diamond producer in the world by volume, and is also especially noted for producing pink and brown Diamonds. Diamantina, in Minas Gerais, Brazil has produced a unique form of Diamond in a
conglomerate matrix.
In the U.S., the Crater of Diamonds State Park, near Murfreesboro, Pike Co., Arkansas is the only Diamond mine in the world open to the public. On average, about two or three Diamonds are found per day from miners trying their luck. In California, in the
Gold producing regions of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, several limited Diamond occurrences have been noted, especially where glaciers left
waterworn pebbles in
placer deposits (such as in Trinity County). Kelsey Lake, Larimer Co., Colorado, contains the only commercially operating Diamond mine in the U.S., which was started in 1996.
A new Diamond field was also discovered in the 1990's in Lac de Gras in the Northwest Territories, Canada, with the Ekati and Diavik Diamond mines making Canada a new and important Diamond producer.