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ROUGH DIAMONDS
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ROUGH DIAMONDS
Rough diamonds on a table in South Africa. Date: 1930s
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Media ID 20157767
© Bubblepunk
Diamonds Precious Rough Stones
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This evocative photograph captures the raw beauty and essence of the diamond industry in its earliest form, as rough diamonds lay scattered across a table in South Africa during the 1930s. The diamonds, in their natural state, glint and gleam in the light, their rough, angular shapes a stark contrast to the polished gems we know today. The table, laden with these precious stones, is a testament to the labor-intensive process of diamond mining, where each stone was painstakingly sorted and graded by hand. The diamond industry in South Africa had been in full swing since the late 1800s, but it was in the 1930s that the country truly came into its own as a major global supplier. The discovery of the rich Kimberley Diamond Fields in the late 1860s had set off a gold rush, and the industry continued to grow, fueled by the demand for diamonds in jewelry and industrial applications. The rough diamonds in this photograph were likely extracted from the earth using a combination of manual labor and rudimentary mining techniques. Once brought to the surface, they would be sorted and graded based on their size, shape, and clarity. The largest and most flawless diamonds would be set aside for cutting and polishing, while the smaller, less valuable stones would be used for industrial purposes or discarded. Despite the harsh conditions and backbreaking labor, the allure of the diamonds kept miners and entrepreneurs coming to South Africa in search of fortune and fame. This photograph offers a glimpse into a bygone era, a time when the raw, untamed beauty of nature held the power to captivate and inspire.
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