Why Kimberley Matters

Over the years, we have noticed that many of our guests—whether visiting Kimberley for business or leisure—have wondered why this remarkable city has played such an important role in South Africa's history over the past 160 years.

These pages invite you on a coffee-table journey through Kimberley's past, from the discovery of the Eureka Diamond in 1867 and the Great Diamond Rush, through wars, political change and the rise of the world's diamond industry, to the city we know today. They are not intended to be an academic history, but rather an enjoyable introduction to the people, places and events that shaped Kimberley.

So, make yourself comfortable, pour a cappuccino or a cup of chai, and enjoy exploring the remarkable story of one of South Africa's most fascinating cities.

💎 Before the Diamonds

💎 1867: The Eureka Diamond

💎 1869: The Star of South Africa Diamond

💎 1869–1871 South Africa's Great Diamond Rush

💎 1867–1914: From Eureka to the Big Hole

💎 1914–1945: From Diamonds to War

💎 1945–1990: From Oppenheimer to Democracy

💎 1990–Present: Kimberley Reinvents Itself

💎 Big Hole Mine Museum

The Diamond That Sparked the Great Diamond Rush

A Remarkable Discovery

The Star of South Africa was discovered in 1869 on the banks of the Orange River near Hopetown (120km southwest of present-day Kimberley).

Historical accounts differ on exactly who found it. Some identify the discoverer as a young Griqua shepherd, while others refer to a Griqua man named Swartbooi. Whatever the true story, the rough crystal immediately attracted attention because of its exceptional size.

The uncut diamond weighed 83.5 carats, almost four times the size of the Eureka Diamond, which had been found in a similar location two years earlier.

Schalk van Niekerk Takes Another Gamble

One man immediately recognised its potential. Schalk van Niekerk had already played an important role in the discovery of the Eureka Diamond. Having learned to recognise the characteristics of rough diamonds, he believed this new stone could be worth a fortune.

He exchanged almost everything he owned for it:

• 500 sheep
• 10 oxen
• 1 horse

It was a gamble that changed Schalk van Niekerk's life forever.

A few days later, he sold the stone in Hopetown to the Lilienfeld Brothers for £11,200, making it one of the most valuable gemstones ever found in southern Africa at that time. The Lilienfeld Brothers later gave the diamond the name by which it is still known today: The Star of South Africa.

From Rough Crystal to Famous Gem

The diamond was sent to Europe, where it was expertly cut and polished into a magnificent 47.69-carat pear-shaped brilliant.

Eventually, it was purchased by William Ward, Earl of Dudley, who presented it to his wife, the Countess of Dudley, as part of an elaborate diamond head ornament containing ninety-five smaller diamonds. For many years, it became known simply as the Dudley Diamond.

Today, the Star of South Africa remains in a private collection, although it has occasionally been displayed in museums and international exhibitions.

The Discovery That Changed a Nation

The true importance of the Star of South Africa lies not in its beauty but in its impact. The Eureka Diamond had proved diamonds existed. The Star of South Africa proved there were fortunes waiting to be found.

News of such an enormous diamond convinced prospectors from across southern Africa, Britain, Europe and beyond to search for more. The Orange River diggings became crowded with hopeful miners, and exploration spread rapidly northwards.

Over the following years:

🔷 diamonds were discovered at Klip Drift (today Barkly West);

🔷 rich deposits were found at Bultfontein and Du Toit's Pan (today Beaconsfield);

🔷 the De Beers Mine and Kimberley Mine were discovered;

🔷 the mining settlements that later became Beaconsfield and Kimberley rapidly expanded;

🔷 Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato arrived on the diamond fields;

🔷 De Beers Consolidated Mines was eventually established.

Few individual gemstones have had such a profound influence on the history of an entire country.

The Beginning of Kimberley

The discovery of the Star of South Africa is often regarded as the turning point that transformed isolated river diggings into one of the world's greatest mining frontiers. The influx of prospectors, merchants, engineers, financiers and adventurers created entirely new settlements. Roads, railways, banks, newspapers and businesses followed. What had been quiet grazing land beside the Orange River and on the nearby veldt was rapidly transformed into one of the world's busiest mining regions.

What began as the discovery of a single diamond eventually led to the creation of Kimberley, the rise of De Beers, the careers of Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato, and the Mineral Revolution that reshaped South Africa's economy and society. Without the Star of South Africa, the history of Kimberley may have unfolded very differently.

Legacy

Today, the Star of South Africa remains one of the most historically significant diamonds ever discovered. Although larger and more valuable diamonds would later be found, none matched its ability to capture the world's imagination.

It was the diamond that convinced thousands of people to journey to the Northern Cape in search of unimaginable wealth. In doing so, it helped change the course of South African history forever.