Cempaka Traditional Diamond Mining

Martapura diamond mining.Cempaka is a small village near Martapura, and 45 kilometres from Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). The village is an old site of traditional diamond mining, using very basic equipment for digging and selecting the valuable stones. The diamonds are found in gravel and muddy sediments at depths of about 10 meters. The miners dig in groups of 10 to 20 people, using baskets to haul up mud, stones and clay. When a pit is dug to the correct depth, horizontal tunnels are then dug to the sides. The collected sediments are washed in conical wooden bowls which are swirled around. By using this traditional method the lighter material is collected towards the outside edge of the bowl, while the heavier diamonds collect at the bottom..Martapura diamonds have been praised for their excellent quality, brilliance and colour variety trough out centuries. For 3 centuries Borneo was controlled by the Dutch. During the 18th century, the Dutch annually produced approximately 50,000 carats of rough Borneo diamonds. After this period the area was controlled by the indigenous Dayak tribe. These days most of the diamond digging is done by local people. Most of the workers are members of the Banjar and Dayak (former headhunters) tribe. Every dig hole is owned by a landlord, who gets 20 percent of the earnings of the finds. 10 percent of the earnings goes to the owner of the equipment and 70 percent is divided between the diggers. This method of payment dates back centuries. .In 1985 a large raw diamond of 116.7 carats was found. Apart from diamonds, other gems and valuable stones are found in this area. Topaz, emerald, amethyst and even gold and fossils find their way to the market of Martapura, which is also well known for its gem polishing..Religion an mysticism is a part of everyday life of the diggers. This also influences the work of the diggers. Several rituals are performed for good luck, safety and rich findings. The first diamond.