Seven daily-wage workers in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna district struck fortune after unearthing a high-value diamond from a leased shallow mine. The gem, reportedly weighing 17.96 carats, is estimated to be worth nearly ₹50 lakh.
How was the diamond unearthed?
Akhilesh Pal and six others leased a mine in Panna's Sarokha village two years ago, reported the BBC, quoting PTI. However, they soon decided to shut the mine for a year, and it was only recently reopened. While visiting the land after heavy rainfall, Pal spotted the rock, which the labourers now expect will “change their lives”.
"We had been mining there for about two years," Pal told the BBC, "but we had no luck, so we closed the mine for a year. We had started another mine right next to it."
He added, “When we went there to inspect the new one, we also looked inside the old mine, and that's where we found it - right on top.”
“Precious” rock:
{{/usCountry}}He added, “When we went there to inspect the new one, we also looked inside the old mine, and that's where we found it - right on top.”
“Precious” rock:
{{/usCountry}}According to Ravi Patel, a diamond official, the rock Pal discovered weighed 17.96 carats. Patel told the BBC that it was a “gem quality” rock, explaining that it is one of the finest varieties of natural diamonds. The official even described the rock as “precious”.
What will happen next?
The diamond will be put up for auction, likely in October this year. Patel said it is expected to fetch nearly ₹50 lakh. Buyers from India and abroad are expected to bid on the rock.
The government will deduct a 12% royalty from the sale of the diamond. The remaining amount will be divided equally among the seven men.
India's gem town:
Finding the rock is set to change the lives of the labourers, as three among the seven told the local media. One added that they can now fulfil his dream of getting married. Though it’s a big find, it’s not entirely uncommon for workers to find diamonds in Panna.
Also Read: Madhya Pradesh friends find '$55,000 diamond' on the plot they leased: ‘Can get our sisters married’
There have been several instances in which people have found diamonds on their leased land in the town. Earlier in June, a tribal family in the town unearthed an 11.19-carat diamond, estimated at around ₹30 lakh. What is interesting is that the family also found a 19.22-carat diamond in 2024 that fetched them ₹93 lakh at a government auction.