Jagersfontein Mine
Jagersfontein Mine was a diamond mine in South Africa, near the town of Jagersfontein, about 110 kilometres southwest of Bloemfontein. It sits in a kimberlite pipe, a type of rock that can contain diamonds. The open-pit mine reached a depth of about 200 metres (660 feet) and covered about 19.65 hectares (48.6 acres).
The first diamond, 50 carats, was found in August 1870 by farmer J.J. de Klerk, starting a diamond rush. Two of the world’s largest diamonds were mined here: the Excelsior and the Reitz (later called the Jubilee). By 1893 all mine claims were owned by one company connected with De Beers.
De Beers ran the mine for many years, until 1972, and prospecting rights stayed with them until 2002. Across its life, the mine produced about 9.6 million carats (1,900 kg) of diamonds. Open-pit mining lasted 39 years, while underground mining continued from 1909 to 1971. Today the site hosts the Open Mine Museum and the Jagers Mining Village for visitors.
The Reitz diamond was renamed the Jubilee Diamond in 1900 to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The mine area also saw strikes and riots in 1913–1914, with deaths and arrests, involving Basotho workers who lived and worked there under harsh conditions.
In 2007 there was a court case about historic stockpile dumps, but standard environmental rules still applied. Reprocessing attempts occurred around 2010–2011, with companies like Son Op (later Jagersfontein Development) involved. Reinet Investments of Luxembourg became involved around 2011 and was later sold to Stargems Group in early 2022.
On 11 September 2022, a mudslide from the mine’s tailings dam wall killed three people, hospitalised about 40, and displaced many others. The site is now closed to the public.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:57 (CET).