introduction
Williamson Diamond Limited is a diamond mine 23 kilometers (14 miles) northeast of Shinyanga in Tanzania; it is known as the first significant Diamond mine outside of South Africa and was established in 1940 by Or.John Williamson, a Canadian geologist. The mine is an open pit operation based upon the 146 hectare Mwadui kimberlite pipe, which is the world’s largest economic kimberlite to have seen continuous mining. Petra Diamonds Limited (‘Petra) acquired its 63% stake in Williamson in 2021 and has shared ownership with the Government of Tanzania (which has a 37% holding) since last year.
