Hard rock mining of primary kimberlite on an industrial scale had only emerged with diamond discoveries in South Africa in the 19th century. Initially, kimberlite pipes were mined as open cast mines, and only within the second half of the 20th century that underground mining was implemented.
The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of modern hard rock mining methods implemented in today’s diamond mines worldwide. The focus is to highlight successes and challenges with each method and compare experiences in various geographical, climate, and socioeconomic zones of the world.
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