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Diamonds

Mining equipment

 

Diamonds


De Beers Millennium Star
Image source: De Beers Group
  

The De Beers Millennium Star

  • Discovered and mined in the Republic of Congo in 1990.

  • Weighted 777 carats (155.4 grams).

  • It took over three years for diamond cutters to shape the gem. 

  • After the polishing was complete, it weighted 203 carats (40.60 grams).

  • The world’s only flawless, a D-color, pear-shaped diamond.

 

 


 The Centenary Diamond
Image source: De Beers Group


 The Centenary Diamond
Image source: http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/
  

Centenary Diamond

  • Discovered at the Premier Mine in South Africa in 1986.

  • Presented in the rough for the Centennial Celebration of De Beers Consolidated Mines and named  the Centenary Diamond.

  • Weighted 599.10 carats (119.82 grams).

  • Once the polishing was complete by master-cutter Gabi Tolkowsky and his team, this amazing gem weighed 273.15 carats (54.63 grams).

  • D-color grade.

  • Clarity: F (flawless).

  • Shape: Modified Heart.

  • 247 facets. 

 

 


 Cullinan I (Great Star of Africa)
Image source: http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/









 Cullinan II (the Lesser Star of Africa)
Image source: http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/
  

Cullinan

  • Discovered and mined in South Africa in 1905.

  • The largest diamond crystal ever found – 3,106 carats (621.20 grams).

  • Named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, who opened the Premier Mine.

  • It was cut into 105 diamonds, nine major and 96 smaller of nearly flawless clarity.

  • The principal diamonds are mounted in the British crown jewels.

Cullinan I (Great Star of Africa)

  • Weighs 530.20 carats (106.04 grams), the second largest cut diamond in the world.

  • Pear-shaped, with 76 facets, kept with the other Crown Jewels in the Tower of London.

 

 

Cullinan II (The Lesser Star of Africa)

  • Weighs 317.40 carats (63.48 grams).

  • It is a part of the British Crown Jewels, on display in the Tower of London.
     

 


 Golden Jubilee Diamond
Image source: http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/
  

Golden Jubilee Diamond

  • Discovered in the Premier mine in South Africa in 1985.

  • Weighted 755 carats (151 grams).

  • After the polishing was complete by the Gabi Tolkowsky and his team, it weighted 545.67 carats (109.13 grams) - the largest cut diamond in the world.

  • Presented to the King of Thailand in 1997 for his Golden Jubilee - the 50th anniversary of his coronation.

  • Prior to this event, the gem was known as the Unnamed Brown.

 


 The Taylor-Burton diamond
Image source:
  www.original-diamonds.com
  

The Taylor-Burton Diamond

  • Pear-shaped 69-carat (13.8 grams) diamond.

  • Mined at the Premier mine in South Africa in 1966. Cartier obtained it at auction in 1969.

  • The very next day the actor Richard Burton purchased the diamond for an undisclosed sum of money to give to his wife, Elizabeth Taylor.  She put it up for auction in 1979. The proceeds from the sale went to fund a hospital in Botswana, Africa.

  • The last recorded sale was in 1979 for nearly $3-million to an anonymous buyer in Saudi Arabia.

 

 


 The Hope diamond
Image source:
 www.original-diamonds.com
  

Hope Diamond

  • Named after its purchaser, Henry Thomas Hope.

  • Discovered and mined in Kollur mine, India in 1812.

  • Weighs 45.5 carats (9.1 grams), clarity - very slightly 1 (VS1). Believed to be the largest blue diamond in the world.

  • Located at Smithsonian Museum, National Mall, Washington, DC.

 

 


 The Hope diamond
Image source:
 www.original-diamonds.com
  

Tiffany Yellow Diamond

  • One of the largest yellow diamonds, discovered in 1878 in the in South Africa.

  • Weighted 287.42 carats (57.48 grams).

  • It was cut into a cushion shape of 128.54 carats (25.70 g) with 90 facets.

  • It was purchased by jeweler Charles Tiffany and remains on permanent display on the ground floor of the Tiffany & Co. store in New York City.

  • According to the an ad in the New York Times in 1972, it was offered for sale at $5 million. 

 

Mining equipment

Image source: P&H Mining

 

P&H 4100XPB electric (rope) shovel by P&H Mining

  • Bucket payload: 115 tons (104 tonnes).

  • Bucket volume: 47-100 yd3 (35.9 – 76.5 m3).

  • Peak production: 12,000 tons/hour (10,900 tonnes/hour).

  • Annual production: 35-million bank yd3 (26.7-million bank m3).

  • Average cycle time: 29 seconds.

  • Three to four passes to load 360-ton truck.

 

Image source: Terex GmbH

 

 

 

RH 400 hydraulic shovel by O&K

  • Engine power: 4,400 hp (3,360 kW).

  • Diesel powered.

  • Bucket payload: 99 tons (90 tonnes).

  • Bucket volume: 58.9 yd3 (45 m3).

  • Weight: 990 tons (900 tonnes).

  • Height: 33.35-feet (10.17 meters)

  • Production at oil sands: 9,686 tons/hour (8,787 tonnes/hour) or 4,184 bank m3/h.

 

Image source: Caterpillar

 

 

 

CAT 797B mining truck by Caterpillar

  • Dimensions: 24.87-feet (7.58 m) tall, 47.65-feet (14.53 m) long, 32-feet (9.76 m) wide.

  • Gross machine operating weight: 1,375,000 lb (623,690 kg).

  • Fuel tank: 1,800 gal (6,814 liters).

  • Nominal payload capacity: 380 tons (345 tonnes).

  • Powered by a 24 cylinder turbo diesel engine that produces 3,550 hp (2,648 kW).

 

 

Image source: Liebherr

 

 

 

T 282 B mining truck by Liebherr

  • The world largest truck.

  • Weight: 224 tons (203 tonnes).

  • Dimensions: 25.63-feet (7.84 meters) tall, 50.18-feet (15.3 meters) long, 31.13-feet (9.52 m) wide.

  • Payload: 400 tons (365 tonnes).

  • Maximal operating weight: 652.5 tons (592 tonnes).

  • Fuel tank: 1,250 gal (4,732 liters).

  • Powered by 3,650 hp (2,723 kW) engine.

 

Image source: LeTourneau Inc

 

 

 

 

The L-2350 wheel loader by LeTourneau Inc.

  • The world largest front-end rubber-tired loader.

  • Power: 2,300 hp (1,716 kW).

  • Fuel tank: 1,050 gal ( 3,975 l).

  • Bucket payload: 80 tons (72.7 tonnes).

  • Bucket volume: 53 yd3 (40.8 m3).

  • Truck match: 240 - 400 tons (216 - 360 tonnes).

 

 

  

 

Image source: P&H Mining

 

 

 

 

P&H 9020 walking dragline by P&H Mining

  • Bucket volume: 120 yd3 (91.8 m3).

  • Boom length: 290 – 425 ft (88.4 – 123 meters).

  • Stands 22 stories high.

  • Weighs 5,700 tons (5,130 tonnes).

  • Bucket takes bites the size of a four-car garage.

  • Footpads are as long as a city bus.

 

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Image source: Krupp-Foerdertechnik

 

 

 

Bucket-wheel excavator (BWE) by Krupp Fordertechnick

  • The largest mining machine in the world that was built for Hambach coal mine in Germany.

  • Daily production: 312,000 bank yd3  (240,000 bank m3).

  • Digging height: up to 327-feet (100 m).

  • Over 310.6-feet (95 m) tall, over 703-feet (215 m) long (like 2.5 football fields).

  • It took 5 years to design & manufacture and 5 years to assemble in the field.

 

Image source: Krupp Canada

 

 

 

Double roll semi-mobile crusher by Krupp Canada

  • The largest double roll crusher in the world.

  • Operates in oil sands mine of Albian Sands Energy Inc. in Alberta, Canada.

  • Designed to accept lumps as large as 11.4-feet (3.5 meters) in size.

  • A diamond shaped hopper is capable of handling two 400 ton (360 tonnes) trucks dumping simultaneously.

  • Design capacity: 15,400 tons/hour (14,000 tonnes/hour).

  • Crusher roll size: 10.1-feet (3.1 m) diameter x 11.1-feet (3.4 m) wide

 

 

Image source: Krupp Canada

 

 

 

 

Overland conveyor by Krupp Canada

  • Designed for the Los Pelambres copper mine in Chile.

  • Site elevation is over 9,800 ft (3,000 m).

  • System length: 7.93 miles (12,700 m). Longest conveyor: 3.5 miles (5,630 m).

  • Drop of system: 4,251-feet (1,300 m).

  • Capacity: 9,625 tons/hour (8,700 tonnes/hour).

  • Belt speed: 19.68 feet/sec (6.0 m/s).

  • Belt conveyor width: 72 in (1,800 mm).

  • Installed motor power: 10 x 3,350 hp (2,500 kW).