The Gell-Mann grading, one of the four gradings of sl(3,C) that cannot be
further refined, is considered as the initial grading for the graded
contraction procedure. Using the symmetries of the Gell-Mann grading, the
system of contraction equations is reduced and solved. Each non-trivial
solution of this system determines a Lie algebra which is not isomorphic to the
original algebra sl(3,C). The resulting 53 contracted algebras are divided into
two classes - the first is represented by the algebras which are also
continuous Inonu-Wigner contractions, the second is formed by the discrete
graded contractions.Comment: 21 page