The small town of Cullinan was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan and was established together with the Premier Mine in 1902. Situated about 30 kilometres east of Pretoria, this is one of the richest diamond mines in the world, yielding an average of 2 million carats a year. Cullinan Diamond Mine is a carrot shaped volcanic pipe and has a surface area of 42 hectares – about 40 soccer pitches
Three of the world’s most famous diamonds the Cullinan, the Centenary Diamond and the Premier Rose were mined at the Cullinan Mine. The Cullinan Diamond 3106 ct was given to King Edward the VII on his 66th birthday from England.
Itinerary
We will travel via Rayton to Cullinan and join a local guide for either a surface tour or underground tour
Surface Tour:
Highlights of the tour:
• Introductory DVD of underground operations (15 min)
• Diamond Display Room – replicas of very famous diamonds (from Cullinan Diamond Mine and all over the world
• Mock up life size underground tunnel – guide explains the construction of tunnels underground
• Shafts where the kimberlite rock is hoisted from 500m underground to surface
• Winding Engine Room – heart of the shafts operation
• Lookout point of the Big Hole – where the volcanic eruption took place 1.2 billion years ago ( 4 times larger and 2 x deeper then Kimberly’s big hole
• Diamond Cutting and Jewelry shop – where the end product can be viewed and bought (including the 66 facet Cullinan Star Cut which can only be bought at Cullinan Diamonds, which is the last leg of our tour.
You will have to change into special safety gear and head down in a cage to 763 meters below the surface. Temperatures underground are comfortable all year round. It is the only one in the world that allows underground tours. Tour lasts for 4 1/2 hours, a short training on the self-rescue pack will be done which you will also be required to wear underground, as well as your battery pack to light your own cap mounted light. Fully equipped changing rooms are provided and you will be transported from there to the mine lamp room, after which you will journey to the bottom of the mine in a man riding cage (elevator) and tour the workings of the mine.
Tourist Guides in Gauteng can now provide day trips in Gauteng for family and friends.
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