Diamond Mines Aren't Forever...

The last diamond minds in the famous South African mining district of Kimberley are closing.

The closures...signal the passing of 134 years of rich history which, to some degree, defines Britain's imperial rule of southern Africa.

And so the past fades, piece by piece. Discovered before the Boer War, the development of the district and its exploitation would drive South Africa into the 21st century.

No more. Now, the owner, DeBeers, is consolidatingits investments, closing two other mines and investing in its first venture outside of Africa - the Sapp Lake mine in Canada's Nunavut.