Jagersfontein
Encyclopedia
Jagersfontein is a small town in the Free State
province of South Africa
. The original farm on which the town stands was once the property of a Griqua Jacobus Jagers, hence the name Jagersfontein. He sold the farm to CF Visser in 1854. A diamond
rush started in 1870 after farmer JJ de Klerk found a 50 carat (10 g) diamond. This was about three years before diamonds were discovered 130 km away at Kimberley
.
Mines no longer operate in Jagersfontein, but there were many great finds, such as the 972 carat (194.4 g) Excelsior Diamond
of 1893 and the 637 carat (127.4 g) Reitz Diamond of 1895. The diamond mine is the deepest hand-excavated hole in the world. See also main article Jagersfontein Mine
.
Jagersfontein was one of the more famous diamond mines
and together with the Koffiefontein mine
produced one the clearest diamonds of all mines in the early 1900s, despite being overshadowed by the mines at Kimberley (Streeter called its diamonds of the "first water
").
The Reitz diamond
was first named after Francis William Reitz
, then state president of the Orange Free State
in which Jagersfontein was located. The following year marked the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria
(the 60th anniversary of her coronation) so the gem was renamed the Jubilee Diamond
to commemorate the occasion.
It was the second town in South Africa and the first town in the Orange Free State
to have electricity and piped water. In the early years, water used to be supplied with a unique system of coin-operated water pumps, using so-called Water Pennies, situated on street corners.
Jagersfontein has fallen on hard times since the mine was closed, and the downward spiral continued due to municipal mismanagement after the end of Apartheid. Exorbitant property taxes have been imposed on the white residents, causing most of them to leave the town. This in turn led to high unemployment under the remaining residents, both black and white. The public swimming pool and tennis courts have fallen in a bad state of repair, the roof of the sport stadium have been plundered. The golf course has survived thanks to private funds.
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The original farm on which the town stands was once the property of a Griqua Jacobus Jagers, hence the name Jagersfontein. He sold the farm to CF Visser in 1854. A diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
rush started in 1870 after farmer JJ de Klerk found a 50 carat (10 g) diamond. This was about three years before diamonds were discovered 130 km away at Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
.
Mines no longer operate in Jagersfontein, but there were many great finds, such as the 972 carat (194.4 g) Excelsior Diamond
Excelsior Diamond
The Excelsior Diamond was found on June 30, 1893 at the Jagersfontein Mine by a worker while loading a truck. The man was able to hide the diamond from the supervisors but delivered it to the manager of the mine himself. Until 1905, when the larger Cullinan diamond was found, the Excelsior was the...
of 1893 and the 637 carat (127.4 g) Reitz Diamond of 1895. The diamond mine is the deepest hand-excavated hole in the world. See also main article Jagersfontein Mine
Jagersfontein Mine
Jagersfontein Mine is an abandoned open-pit mine in South Africa located close to the town of Jagersfontein and approximately south-west of Bloemfontein. Since it was first established in 1888, two of the ten biggest diamonds ever discovered, the Excelsior and the Reitz , were mined from...
.
Jagersfontein was one of the more famous diamond mines
Jagersfontein Mine
Jagersfontein Mine is an abandoned open-pit mine in South Africa located close to the town of Jagersfontein and approximately south-west of Bloemfontein. Since it was first established in 1888, two of the ten biggest diamonds ever discovered, the Excelsior and the Reitz , were mined from...
and together with the Koffiefontein mine
Koffiefontein mine
Koffiefontein Mine is a diamond mine situated in the Free State province, about 80 km from Kimberley, South Africa. It is one of the many Kimberley mines of which Kimberley mine, de Beers mine, Dutoitspan, Bultfontein and Wesselton are its more famous neighbours.The mine was opened in 1870 and...
produced one the clearest diamonds of all mines in the early 1900s, despite being overshadowed by the mines at Kimberley (Streeter called its diamonds of the "first water
First Water
First Water means "highest quality" and is a term which originates from the gemstone trade. The clarity of diamonds is assessed by their translucence; the more like water, the higher the quality. This comparison of diamonds with water dates back to at least the early 17th century, and Shakespeare...
").
The Reitz diamond
Jubilee Diamond
The Jubilee Diamond, originally known as the Reitz Diamond is a colourless, cushion-shaped diamond weighing 245.35 carats , making it the sixth largest diamond in the world...
was first named after Francis William Reitz
Francis William Reitz
Francis William Reitz, Jr. was a South African lawyer, politician, statesman, publicist and poet, member of parliament of the Cape Colony, Chief Justice and fifth State President of the Orange Free State, State Secretary of the South African Republic at the time of the Second Boer War, and the...
, then state president of the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
in which Jagersfontein was located. The following year marked the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
(the 60th anniversary of her coronation) so the gem was renamed the Jubilee Diamond
Jubilee Diamond
The Jubilee Diamond, originally known as the Reitz Diamond is a colourless, cushion-shaped diamond weighing 245.35 carats , making it the sixth largest diamond in the world...
to commemorate the occasion.
It was the second town in South Africa and the first town in the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
to have electricity and piped water. In the early years, water used to be supplied with a unique system of coin-operated water pumps, using so-called Water Pennies, situated on street corners.
Jagersfontein has fallen on hard times since the mine was closed, and the downward spiral continued due to municipal mismanagement after the end of Apartheid. Exorbitant property taxes have been imposed on the white residents, causing most of them to leave the town. This in turn led to high unemployment under the remaining residents, both black and white. The public swimming pool and tennis courts have fallen in a bad state of repair, the roof of the sport stadium have been plundered. The golf course has survived thanks to private funds.