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This Is How Much Earth Is Excavated To Mine Beach-Ball Sized Amount Of Diamonds
South African photographer Dillon Marsh’s photo series looks at the profound effect of precious gem mining on the land in South Africa
This startling image shows the vast expanse of earth which has to be excavated to mine a diamond the size of a beach ball.
South African photographer Dillon Marsh’s photo series ‘For What It’s Worth’ looks at the effect of precious gem mining on the land in South Africa.
His work centres on three mines: the Koffiefontein and Jagersfontein mines, which between 1871 and 1914 have seen 7.6 million and 9.52 million carats of diamonds extracted respectively, and the Kimberley mine, which saw 14.5 million carats extracted.
Dillon has used CGI visual indicators of exactly what amount of diamonds was removed into the impressive shots of the large holes in the ground.
The 33-year-old from Cape Town explains that South Africa: ‘is one of the world's leading diamond producers.
‘The immense scale of these open pit mines and the relatively low yield associated with diamond mining make for a dramatic visual comparison.’
He added: ‘The CGI objects represent a scale model of the materials removed from each mine, a solid mass occupying a scene showing the ground from which it was extracted.
‘By doing so, the intention is to create a kind of visualisation of the merits and shortfalls of mining in South Africa, an industry that has shaped the history and economy of the country so radically.
‘The sizes of the diamonds mined range from about 96 cm to about 116 cm in diameter, so they are like the size of large beach balls.’
