Photographic Record
The photos on this page depict our mining operations over the years.
Click on any image to enlarge.
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First buying trip to Sierra Leone, Kono - 1978
Indigenous Mining
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First buying trip to Sierra Leone, Kono - 1978
Who needs a water pump when labor is cheaper than gas?
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First buying trip to Sierra Leone, Kono - 1978
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Opened the buying office in Kenema - 1980
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Marrikia Pit in Tongo
They go down 20-30 feet, then tunnel out. No support work, consequently many cave-ins - 1981
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Sewa River - 1982
Bringing up the gravel one bucket at a time.
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Moa Operation
The Moa River - 1983
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The Dredge
Consisting of a 4" gravel pump and compressor for divers.
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The Recovery System
A heavy media diaphragm jig and gold box (sluice) attached under the jig.
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Kicking the Final Concentrates
Under the watchful eye of the license holder.
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Our First Diamond
A perfect .65-carat crystal, 1st color and loupe clean from the Moa River - 1983
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Deep Water Key
Evan Davis, mining engineer, and Mike McGriffin, geologist, dredging on the Bafi River at "Deep Water Key," a hole that goes down 80 feet - 1984
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The Recovery System
A heavy media diaphragm jig and gold box (sluice) attached under the jig.
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Pit Mining in Kono
Using heavy equipment for excavation. The long sluice with high pressure water breaks up the clay, and cleans the gravel before jigging - 1985
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Gold!
This area had a high concentration of gold. The initial scrubbing with the long sluice recovered 80% of the floor gold. Notice the punch plate on top and the rice bags with expanded metal on the bottom.
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Buying Rough
Buying rough at the Freetown office. This is what it's all about! Sierra Leone produces the finest diamonds in the world. Mickey is evaluating a 27-carat octahedron crystal from Kono - 1987
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The Mining Gets Bigger
We moved to Sumbuya, Guinea in 1994 because of the war in Sierra Leone.
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Separation Jigs
The same heavy media separation jigs, only bigger. There are three sets of screens classifying the gravel, so each jig handles a different size.
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Backhoe
Feeding the recovery system with a backhoe - 1998
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