The world’s diamond mines are concentrated in a handful of countries, mostly in Africa, Russia, and northern Canada. Russia is the single largest producer, accounting for about 41% of global output, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (18%), Botswana (17%), South Africa (13%), and Zimbabwe (9%). Together, these five countries produce 97% of the world’s natural industrial diamonds. But the specific mines, and the landscapes they occupy, vary wildly, from frozen tundra in Siberia to the ocean floor off the Namibian coast.
Why Diamonds Form Where They Do
Diamonds form deep in the Earth, roughly 150 to 300 kilometers below the surface, under extreme heat and pressure. They reach the surface through volcanic eruptions that create narrow, carrot-shaped formations called kimberlite pipes. These pipes punch through ancient, thick continental crust known as cratons, some of which are over 2.5 billion years old. The older and thicker the crust, the better the conditions for diamond formation and preservation.
This geology explains the global pattern. Southern Africa sits on the Kaapvaal Craton and has more known kimberlite deposits than anywhere else on Earth. Siberia’s Yakutia region, northern Canada, and parts of India, Australia, and northern Europe all sit on similarly ancient rock. If you overlay a map of the world’s oldest continental cores with a map of diamond mines, they match almost perfectly.
Russia’s Yakutia Region
Russia’s diamond operations are almost entirely in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), a vast, sparsely populated region in eastern Siberia where winter temperatures drop below minus 40. The state-controlled company ALROSA runs six mining and processing complexes there: Aikhal, Mirny, Udachny, and two production sites under the Nyurba division, plus subsidiaries in other parts of northern Russia.
The Mirny kimberlite pipe, discovered in 1955, became one of the most famous diamond sources in history. Its open pit is over 500 meters deep and visible from space. Mining operations at Mirny were suspended in 2017 after an underground accident flooded the mine, and ALROSA is still evaluating whether to resume work. The Udachny pipe, also discovered in 1955, completed open-pit mining in 2015 and now operates as an underground mine. The newer Nyurba division, established in 2000, mines several pipes in the Nakyn ore field and is notable for exceptionally high diamond concentrations in the rock.
Beyond kimberlite pipes, ALROSA’s subsidiary Almazy Anabara mines alluvial (river-deposited) diamonds from placer deposits scattered across multiple districts in northwestern Yakutia, including sites named Ebelyakh, Morgogor, and Billyakh.
Botswana’s Two Giant Mines
Botswana punches far above its weight in diamond mining. The country’s two flagship operations, Jwaneng and Orapa, are among the richest diamond mines ever discovered. Both are operated by Debswana, a joint venture between De Beers and the Botswana government.
Jwaneng, in southern Botswana, has an annual capacity of 30 million carats and consistently produces around 12 million carats per year. It is often called the richest diamond mine in the world by value because its stones tend to be high quality. Orapa, in central Botswana, has a capacity of 20 million carats and produced about 10 million carats in recent years. Together with the smaller Letlhakane and Damtshaa mines, Debswana’s total output reached roughly 24 million carats in 2018.
South Africa’s Historic Mines
South Africa is where the modern diamond industry began, and several of its mines are still active. The Venetia mine in Limpopo province, near the border with Zimbabwe, currently produces about 40% of South Africa’s diamonds, which translates to roughly 6% of the global total. The kimberlite pipe there is about 533 million years old, sitting between two ancient cratons. After decades of open-pit mining, Venetia has transitioned to underground operations in a project that took over a decade to complete.
The Cullinan mine, east of Pretoria, is famous for producing extraordinary large stones. The original Cullinan Diamond, found in 1905, weighed 3,106 carats and was cut into several of the British Crown Jewels. More recently, the mine yielded the 507.5-carat Cullinan Heritage Diamond in 2009, which sold for what remains a world-record price for an uncut diamond.
Angola’s Fast-Growing Operations
Angola has rapidly expanded its diamond sector and is now a major global producer. The country produced 10.7 million carats in just the first nine months of a recent reporting year, putting it on track toward an annual target of 14.8 million carats. Two mines dominate: the Catoca mine, one of the largest kimberlite pipes in the world, and the newer Luele deposit, which is currently ramping up with over $216 million in investment.
Together, Catoca and Luele account for 91% of Angola’s total production. The country exported 8.2 million carats of rough diamonds in the first half of the year at an average price of $97 per carat, generating $790 million in sales.
Canada’s Arctic Mines
Canada’s diamond industry is young but significant, centered in the Northwest Territories about 300 to 350 kilometers northeast of Yellowknife. Three mines have operated in this remote, subarctic landscape, accessible only by ice roads in winter or by air.
The Ekati mine, owned by Burgundy Diamond Mines, is expected to continue operating until 2040. The Gahcho Kué mine, a joint venture between De Beers Canada (51%) and Mountain Province Diamonds (49%), sits near Kennady Lake and has its life extended to 2031 with substantial remaining resources. The Diavik mine, fully owned by Rio Tinto, is winding down. Commercial production is expected to end in early 2026, with closure and site rehabilitation continuing through 2029.
Namibia’s Offshore Diamond Fleet
Namibia has developed something no other country has: a large-scale marine diamond mining industry. Diamonds washed into the Atlantic Ocean over millions of years now sit in sediments on the sea floor off Namibia’s southern coast, between the towns of Lüderitz and Oranjemund. This stretch has become one of the most important diamond-producing areas in the world.
The first sea-floor diamonds were recovered from shallow Namibian waters over 110 years ago, but systematic offshore mining didn’t begin until the 1960s. Today, a fleet of seven specialized mining and exploration vessels recovers more than three quarters of Namibia’s total diamond production. These ships use crawlers and hoses to vacuum diamond-bearing gravel from the ocean floor, a technology Namibia pioneered and still leads globally.
Australia’s Argyle Mine (Now Closed)
For 37 years, the Argyle mine in Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region was one of the world’s largest diamond producers by volume. It supplied more than 90% of the world’s natural red, pink, and violet diamonds, stones that are extraordinarily rare and command enormous prices. Production stopped in late 2020, and Rio Tinto is now rehabilitating the site, with demolition and revegetation expected to finish by early 2026, followed by at least 10 years of environmental monitoring.
The Only Public Diamond Mine
There is exactly one place on Earth where anyone can walk onto a kimberlite pipe and search for diamonds: Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro, Arkansas. The 37-acre plowed field sits over an eroded volcanic pipe, and the park operates on a finders-keepers policy. Since opening to the public, visitors have found more than 33,000 diamonds. The park is about 100 miles off the interstate, tucked among pine forests, and draws tens of thousands of visitors each year hoping to get lucky.