Discovery of diamonds near Hopetown, South Africa

Background. Hopetown is situated on an arid slope leading down to the Orange River. It was a quiet farming area until several large diamonds, most notably the Eureka Diamond and the Star of South Africa, were discovered there between 1867 and 1869. The discovery of diamonds in South Africa proved to be the first step in the country's transformation from an agricultural into an industrial country.

Discovery. In 1866, Erasmus Jacobs found a small, brilliant pebble on the banks of the Orange River near Hopetown. This pebble was purchased from Jacobs' father by Schalk van Niekerk, who later sold it. Three years later, an 83.5-carat diamond known as the Star of South Africa was found nearby, marking the beginning of significant diamond discoveries in the area.

Impact. The discovery of diamonds in South Africa proved to be the first step in the transformation of the country from an agricultural into an industrial country. The cited industrialization account concerns Kimberley, which was the initial hub of industrialisation in South Africa in the late 19th century and transformed the country's agrarian economy into one more dependent on its mineral wealth; the passages do not state that Hopetown's own local economy was transformed. Hopetown's association rests on the large diamonds found there between 1867 and 1869.