Diamond Prospection and Research
Systematic Prospection of Great Areas
« South-African » Method: with this method, which is very much used, we do not search the rough diamond itself, but heavy materials which accompany it and which are in greater numbers.
Littoral Prospection: the coastal prospection consists in searching the deposits which are at the edge of the littoral and on the beaches. The marine prospection is made by boats equipped with pumps in orderto sample the diamantiferous gravel.
Prospection Related to Hydrography
Alluvial Prospection: contrary to the « South-African » method, the traditional alluvial prospection is characterized by the direct search of diamond in the alluvial gravels. The major disadvantage of this method is that it cannot be used in dry season, for a maximum of 5 months per year. Indeed, it is necessary to sample the rivers by digging small wells, which are very spaced at the beginning, then getting closer.
Alluvial Prospection in Dense Environment: we could call this method the « Belgian method ». We search for diamonds directly. It is very much used in the Congo area, but the access to the deposits is made very difficult because of the dense forests and the absence of dry season. It is used in Zaire, in Central Africa and in Gabon.