Murowa Diamonds

Murowa Diamonds (Murowa) plays an important role in sustainable socio-economic development, with results that belie the mine’s relatively small size. Situated southwest of Zimbabwe some 450 kilometers from the country’s capital Harare, the Murowa diamond mine is making a significant impact in Zimbabwe that goes way beyond producing diamonds.

Discovery

In the early 1990s, Rio Tinto conducted an exploration programme in Zimbabwe focusing solely on diamonds. In 1997, this exploration came to fruition on the discovery of three diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes in the Murowa area. Two of the kimberlite pipes namely K1 and K2 are can be mined profitably. All the ore bodies have different kimberlite geology and hence different diamond content also referred to as ‘grade’. The geology of kimberlites is complicated in the sense that it is heterogeneous, comprising of different geological units from as deep as the mantle to the crust. Following feasibility studies and mine planning that were conducted from 1998 to 2000, a small mine site was commissioned in 2004.