Historic Diamond Fields & Mines in Brazil

Minas Gerais — Diamantina & Bagagem–Estrela do Sul

Brazil’s diamond rush began in the early 1700s when garimpeiros (artisanal miners) worked river placers along the Serra do Espinhaço. The town of Tejuco (now Diamantina) became a royal diamond district under Portuguese control, and downstream gravels near Bagagem/Estrela do Sul later yielded internationally famous stones. Production peaked in the mid-18th century and declined as deposits were exhausted and new African sources rose to dominance. Source: GIA, Brazilian Diamonds: A Historical and Recent Perspective.

Bahia — Chapada Diamantina (including carbonado)

In the 1800s, discoveries around Lençóis and neighboring valleys opened another long-lived alluvial district. Bahia is also the classic locality for carbonado (“black diamond”), including the giant Sergio. While prized as industrial material, carbonado differs from single-crystal gem diamonds. Chapada Diamantina remains a key chapter in Brazil’s diamond story. Source: GIA, Spring 2017 overview (history, localities, carbonado notes).

Mato Grosso & Goiás — Western River Placers

Farther west, 18th–19th century placers along tributaries of the Paraguay and Araguaia–Tocantins systems supported intermittent diamond washing. These deposits were largely secondary (alluvial/eluvial) and sporadic in output compared to Minas Gerais and Bahia. Source: GIA Spring 2017 historical summary of regions.

Brazil’s Most Historic & Largest Diamonds

Star of the South (Estrela do Sul)

Cut weight: 128.48 ct (Type IIa, fancy light pinkish-brown). Rough: ~254.5 ct. Discovery: 1853, Bagagem River, Minas Gerais. Notes: First Brazilian diamond to gain global fame; later owned by the Gaekwad of Baroda and by Cartier. Sources: GIA field report on the Star of the South (2002); Wikipedia summary.

Presidente Vargas (Vargas Diamond)

Rough: 726.6 ct, discovered Aug. 13, 1938 in the gravels of the Santo Antônio River near Coromandel, Minas Gerais; split into 29 stones, the largest polished named “President Vargas” (48.26 ct emerald-cut). Sources: Mouawad gallery note; Wikipedia “Vargas diamond”.

Sergio (Carbonado do Sérgio)

Rough: ~3,167 ct carbonado (polycrystalline “black diamond”), found 1895 near Lençóis, Bahia. Broken for industrial use; widely cited as the largest rough diamond ever recovered. Source: Wikipedia “Sergio (carbonado)”.

Moussaieff Red (formerly “Red Shield”)

Cut weight: 5.11 ct, Fancy Red (the largest known red diamond). Discovery: 1990s by a Brazilian garimpeiro in the Abaeté/Abaetezinho River area, Minas Gerais; cut by William Goldberg; acquired by Moussaieff. Sources: EraGem summary; BAUNAT; NaturalDiamonds.com note.

Aurora Green

Cut weight: 5.03 ct, Fancy Vivid Green (VS2). Origin: Brazil; sold by Christie’s in 2016 for a record per-carat price for green diamonds. Sources: GIA (Natural-Color Green Diamonds, 2018); Wikipedia “Aurora Green Diamond”.

English Dresden

Cut weight: ~76.5 ct drop brilliant. Discovery: 1857 at the Bagagem mines, Minas Gerais. Notes: Acquired by London dealer E.H. Dresden; later passed through European collections. Sources: Wikipedia “English Dresden”; InternetStones profile.

Empress Eugénie (attributed)

Cut weight: ~51 ct oval brilliant. Origin: Often attributed to Minas Gerais (c.1760), though not conclusively documented. Ownership: Associated with Catherine the Great; later gift to Napoleon III’s Empress Eugénie. Sources: Wikipedia “Empress Eugénie (diamond)”; Antique Jewelry University.

Portuguese Diamond (legendary Brazil origin; debated)

Cut weight: 127.01 ct octagonal step-cut (VS1, M, very strong blue fluorescence). Provenance: Legends place it in 18th-century Brazilian crown jewels, but the Smithsonian notes the early history is undocumented and a South African origin is also suggested. Sources: Smithsonian GeoGallery; GIA blog; Wikipedia “Portuguese Diamond”.

Paragon

Cut weight: 137.82 ct, D-color, Flawless (IF), unusual seven-sided “kite” cut by Graff; widely reported as mined in Brazil. Sources: Wikipedia “Paragon (diamond)”; InternetStones profile.

Ocean Paradise (rare blue-green)

Cut weight: ~1.6 ct, Fancy green-blue; discovered 2012 at Diamantina, Minas Gerais—one of very few natural blue-green diamonds authenticated by labs. Sources: Wikipedia “Ocean Paradise Diamond”; GIA notes on green diamonds.

Summary

Brazil dominated global diamond supply in the 1700s through rich river placers in Minas Gerais and later Bahia. Today, production is small and mostly secondary, but Brazil remains central to diamond lore thanks to landmark stones from all color categories—from the 18th-century Star of the South to the modern-era Moussaieff Red—and to unique carbonados like Sergio. Primary source: GIA Spring 2017 Brazilian Diamonds overview.

Datasets: U.S. Geological Survey, Major Mineral Deposits of the World, Open-File Report 2005-1294. Data portal