 Williamson Diamonds Limited | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
  Williamson diamond mine Location in Tanzania  Williamson diamond mine Williamson diamond mine (Africa) .svg) Williamson diamond mine Williamson diamond mine (Earth) | |
| Country | Tanzania |
| Coordinates | 03°31′S 033°36′E / 3.517°S 33.600°E |
| Production | |
| Products | Diamonds (300,000 carats per annum) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1940 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Petra Diamonds (75%) Government of Tanzania (25%) |
The Williamson Diamond Mine (also known as the Mwadui mine) is a diamond mine 23 kilometres (14 mi) northeast of Shinyanga in Tanzania; it became well known as the first significant diamond mine outside of South Africa. The kimberlite pipe was found in March 1940 and the mine established by John Williamson, a Canadian geologist,[1] and has been continuous operation since then, making it one of the oldest continuously operating diamond mines in the world. Over its lifetime it has produced over 19 million carats (3,800 kg) of diamonds. A 2020 report by The Guardian said that high-quality pink diamonds from the mine could value up to $700,000 a carat.[2]
The Williamson mine was once owned by its namesake Williamson and later nationalized by the government of Tanzania. Since February 2009 the mine is mostly owned by Petra Diamonds, with 75% ownership, the government of Tanzania owning the remaining 25%.[3] In 2020, the mine came under scrutiny because of alleged human rights violations.[2]
- ^ Patricia Treble (May 31, 2012). "One of the Queen's favourite brooches has Canadian roots". Macleans.ca.
- ^ a b "Mine that produced Queen's diamond investigates claims of abuses by guards". the Guardian. 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
- ^ "Williamson Mine". Petra Diamonds. Retrieved 1 February 2016.