Australia
AUSTRALIA: While minor diamond discoveries were made between alluvial gold in New South Wales starting in 1851, a discovery in 1979 on the Kimberley Plateau of Western Australia enabled the country to be the world's most productive diamond producer.
Based on ancient bedrock, diamond examination began in 1972, with a kimberlite pipe discovery coming in 1976 in the Ellendale area. In 1979, a big lamproite pipe was found and named the Argyle mine; by 1992 over 200 million carats had been mined there. Only 5% of the manufacture is gem quality. A unique feature of the Argyle mine, though, is a small but constant supply of valuable pink to red or purple diamonds.
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