Introduction "The confusion of the early days - the cracking whips and bawling ocean, the hot dust that hung in a red haze over the landscape at nightfall, the deafening roar of hail on galvanised iron roofs, men digging up the gravel, and hurrying it in buckets, barrows and carts to the water's edge to sort it - was likened to an insane asylum turned loose on a beach" It is hard to imagine that the Kimberley of today - with its sedate parks and gardens, its streets of charming Victorian and Edwardian architecture - had its genesis in such chaos. More astonishing still is the fact that diamonds are still produced in Kimberley. De Beers still operates three of the original five mines in Kimberley. The Kimberley Mine or “Big Hole” as it is more commonly known is the largest man-made excavation in the world. It yielded 14,5 million carats (2 722kg) of diamonds while in operation. read more...