Top 15 Diamond Mines in the World: Where Diamonds Are Found
Before a natural diamond reaches a jewellery store, it begins its journey deep within the Earth. Natural diamonds form under extreme heat and pressure over geological timescales. They are eventually brought closer to the Earth’s surface through volcanic activity and can be recovered from kimberlite pipes, alluvial deposits and even the seabed. Today, major diamond mines in the world are found across Botswana, Russia, Angola, Canada, South Africa and Lesotho. From mines producing millions of carats to legendary locations known for enormous or rare coloured diamonds, here are 15 of the world’s most famous diamond mines. Note: This list considers global importance, production history, famous discoveries and significance to the natural diamond industry. It is not a strict ranking by annual production or reserves. Top 15 Diamond Mines in the World at a Glance Diamond Mine Country Famous For Jwaneng Botswana One of the richest diamond mines by value Orapa Botswana One of the world’s largest open-pit diamond mines Karowe Botswana Exceptional diamonds over 1,000 carats Catoca Angola Major African diamond production Luele Angola Major new diamond project Cullinan South Africa The 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond Venetia South Africa Major South African diamond mine Letšeng Lesotho Large, high-value white diamonds Gahcho Kué Canada Major Canadian diamond production Ekati Canada Canada’s first major diamond mine Diavik Canada Over 150 million carats produced before closure Aikhal Russia Major Yakutian diamond operation Udachny Russia Large underground diamond mine Mir Russia Iconic giant open-pit mine Argyle Australia Famous pink and red diamonds 1. Jwaneng Diamond Mine, Botswana Location: BotswanaKnown for: Exceptional diamond value Jwaneng is one of the most famous diamond mines in the world and is widely described as one of the richest diamond mines by value. It is operated by Debswana, a partnership between the Government of Botswana and De Beers. Jwaneng remains a major producer, with De Beers reporting more than 2.2 million carats recovered in Q1 2026 alone. 2. Orapa Diamond Mine, Botswana Location: BotswanaKnown for: Enormous open-pit operation Orapa is another major Debswana mine and one of the world’s best-known open-pit diamond operations. Mining began in the early 1970s, helping transform Botswana into one of the world’s leading natural diamond-producing countries. Orapa continues to operate today and remains an important contributor to Botswana’s diamond production. 3. Karowe Diamond Mine, Botswana Location: BotswanaKnown for: Extremely large diamonds Karowe has become famous for something extraordinary: very large natural diamonds. According to Lucara Diamond, Karowe is the only diamond mine to have recovered nine diamonds weighing more than 1,000 carats each. Its major discoveries include the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona and the enormous 2,488-carat rough diamond recovered in 2024. An underground project is being developed to extend Karowe’s mine life to approximately 2038. 4. Catoca Diamond Mine, Angola Location: AngolaKnown for: Large-scale diamond production Catoca is one of Africa’s best-known diamond mines and has played a major role in Angola’s emergence as an important natural diamond producer. Located in Lunda Sul Province, Catoca is a large kimberlite mining operation producing rough diamonds for the international market. Together with newer projects, it has helped establish Angola as an increasingly important player in global diamond mining. 5. Luele Diamond Mine, Angola Location: AngolaKnown for: One of Angola’s major new diamond projects Luele represents a newer chapter in African diamond mining. Located in Angola’s diamond-rich Lunda region, the deposit has become increasingly important as the country expands its natural diamond production. Its development also shows how the geography of global diamond supply continues to evolve beyond long-established mines. 6. Cullinan Diamond Mine, South Africa Location: South AfricaKnown for: The world’s largest gem-quality rough diamond Few diamond mines have produced a discovery as famous as Cullinan. In 1905, the mine produced the legendary Cullinan Diamond, weighing approximately 3,106 carats in its rough form. It remains the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered. Cullinan is also famous for rare blue diamonds and exceptional Type II diamonds and continues to be an important South African mine. 7. Venetia Diamond Mine, South Africa Location: Limpopo, South AfricaKnown for: Major modern South African diamond production Venetia is one of South Africa’s most important modern diamond mines. The operation has been transitioning from open-pit to underground mining, with underground production beginning in 2023. De Beers reported strong underground production during the first half of 2026, although it has proposed a two-year production pause beginning in the second half of 2026 as part of changes responding to diamond-market conditions. 8. Letšeng Diamond Mine, Lesotho Location: LesothoKnown for: Large, high-quality white diamonds Located high in the mountains of Lesotho, Letšeng has built a reputation for producing exceptional large diamonds. Gem Diamonds describes Letšeng as the highest average dollar-per-carat kimberlite diamond mine in the world. The mine continues to produce notable stones. In June 2026, it recovered an exceptional 346.99-carat Type II white diamond. 9. Gahcho Kué Diamond Mine, Canada Location: Northwest Territories, CanadaKnown for: Major Canadian diamond production Gahcho Kué is one of Canada’s important operating diamond mines. Located in the remote Northwest Territories, it is jointly owned by De Beers and Mountain Province Diamonds. Production increased strongly during the first half of 2026 as higher-grade ore from a new mining area was processed. 10. Ekati Diamond Mine, Canada Location: Northwest Territories, CanadaKnown for: Canada’s first major diamond mine Ekati transformed Canadian diamond history when commercial production began in 1998. It became Canada’s first major diamond mine and helped prove that the country’s remote northern region contained commercially important diamond deposits. Its current mine plan runs to around 2028, while further projects could potentially extend mining considerably longer. 11. Diavik Diamond Mine, Canada Location: Northwest Territories, CanadaKnown for: More than 150 million carats produced Diavik was one of Canada’s most significant diamond mines. But unlike many older lists of famous diamond mines, Diavik should now be described as a closed mine. After 23 years of operations and more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds, Diavik produced its final diamonds in March 2026. Its closure marks the end of an important chapter in
