History of mining in the Chapada Diamantina
Garimpo and Mining have been the great economic engines of the Chapada Diamantina in past centuries.
First gold, discovered in the 18th century in Rio de Contas and Jacobina; then diamonds, whose first deposits were discovered in the early 19th century in Mucugê.
Historical heritage in the towns
Many of the towns in the Chapada Diamantina retain memories of their golden past in their homes. For most of the 19th century, Bahia was the world’s largest producer of diamonds.
With the discovery of South African mines in 1870, diamond production declined, but was saved by the discovery of Carbonado, known as the “black diamond”, a very rare variety of diamond used in industry.
Chapada Diamantina Diamond Mining History Video
Igatu na Chapada Diamantina11:08
História do Garimpo da Chapada Diamantina03:32
Pedras Preciosas na Chapada Diamantina20:23
Garimpo na Chapada Diamantina04:00
Map of trails and points of interest in Chapada Diamantina
The largest diamond in the world
The Chapada concentrated virtually all of the world’s carbonado production, and it was on the outskirts of Lençóis that a stone weighing no less than 3,167 carats, named “Sérgio”, was found – to this day the largest diamond ever seen on the planet.
The age of synthetic diamonds
In the 20th century, the advent of synthetic diamonds led to the extinction of carbonado mining. However, gold and diamonds can still be found in the Chapada, albeit by hand, since Ibama banned the use of dredges for mining in 1998.
Gold is still found in Rio de Contas, while diamonds are more likely to be found near Mucugê and Igatu.
The reality of Garimpo today
A prospector spends three days a week mining in Igatu. “I collected 140 stones in one week,” he says.
He keeps the stones in his wallet and goes out to sell them in Andaraí, where Garimpo earns about 300,000 reais a month. “You can still make a living from diamonds here. We have an agreement with an employer who gives us food in exchange for half the profit. So there are hardly any expenses. It’s getting rich that’s difficult.
The discovery of diamonds
Long before they graced the windows of jewellery stores such as H. Stern, diamonds were plentiful in the Chapada Diamantina.
In 1844, they were in the hands of a prospector in the municipality of Mucugê. After finding two stones, one and four carats, he returned to the site with “14 men of his confidence and a load of mallets, carumbés, frincheiros, marrões, sieves and hoes”.
The result of their efforts? Six arrobas, or about 90 kilos of “thick diamonds”.
The beginning of a new mining cycle
One of the 14 men decided to sell his share elsewhere. He was captured, accused of theft in Minas Gerais, imprisoned and forced to confess where he had mined.
Soon a new cycle of mining began, even more lucrative than that of gold in the 17th century. Mucugê, Andaraí, Palmeiras and Lençóis were the richest towns. At the height of the mining boom, Lençóis became the third most important city in Bahia, after Salvador and Feira de Santana.
The decline of mining
In the 1850s, the population of Lençóis reached around 25,000, two and a half times the current figure, living off tourism and receiving an average of 100,000 tourists a year.
In 1867, huge deposits were discovered in South Africa, causing the price of diamonds to plummet and threatening Brazil’s hegemony in the market. But the Chapada held on to carbonate, a mineral prized by European and North American industry.
Consequences of exploitation
Unfortunately, the profits from this extractivism did not translate into lasting benefits, and by the early 20th century carbonate production was declining, causing many workers to emigrate.
The last significant breath of gold mining came in the 1980s, when mechanised mines extracted previously inaccessible diamonds.
However, mechanised mining was banned by the federal government and the state of Bahia in 1996 due to growing environmental concerns.
Untapped potential
At present, there are few attempts at exploitation, but many residents say they are resigned to the law, which guarantees that they will not stop exploiting the potential of their land, since, according to Ibama, only 12 per cent of the diamonds in the Chapada Diamantina have been explored.
From mining to tourism in the Chapada Diamantina
Lençóis is not only known as the main access point to the Chapada Diamantina. Formerly known as the Diamond Capital, the town has a rich history of wealth and tradition. According to historians, Lençóis was discovered in the 19th century as a result of diamond mining in the Mucugê region.
The name of the town comes from the Lagedos, through which the river flows, resembling an embroidered sheet as it descends the mountain.
Gold and the birth of the Garimpo
For a century, gold was the main wealth of the region, and it was during this period that the Royal Road was built to facilitate transport across the region from north to south. With the decline of gold mining, diamond mining began and gold mines were established in Lençóis.
The era of the colonels and the economic crisis
Diamond mining came to an end around 1870, when the so-called “era of the colonels” began, with the local colonel as the main figure in the region.
In the mid-20th century, Lençóis faced a severe economic crisis due to the high demand for diamonds, which led to the exhaustion of diamond mining.
Mining ceased in 1994 and since then a new wealth has been discovered in the Chapada Diamantina region: tourism.
The heritage of the National Park
The Chapada Diamantina National Park was created and in 1973 the town of Lençóis was declared a National Heritage Site by the IPHAN (National Institute for Cultural Heritage). Since then, tourism has become the Chapada Diamantina’s main source of income.
History of mining in the Chapada Diamantina
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