The world's most spectacular known gem quality alluvial diamond placer deposit is located along the Namib Desert coast of south-western Africa. Since the initial discovery of diamonds here in 1908, this regional composite placer deposit has yielded well over 100 million carats of +90% gem quality stones. The bulk of these stones have been derived from the south-western corner of Namibia, known as the Sperrgebiet (forbidden territory). Most of this diamond production has been recovered from a variety of placer types that range in age from contemporary deposits to those that are some 40 million years old. The nature of the mining and prospecting operation at Namdeb requires the use of a range of tools and equipment that is unique in a mining environment.