7 Madhya Pradesh labourers find Rs 50 lakh diamond in abandoned mine

“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.”

The stone was subsequently examined by diamond officials. Ravi Patel, a diamond official, confirmed that it weighed 17.96 carats and described it as “gem quality”. He said the variety is considered among the finest forms of naturally occurring diamonds and called the find “precious”.

The diamond is expected to be auctioned by the government, possibly in October. Patel said it could bring in around Rs 50 lakh, with bidders from both India and overseas expected to participate.

Once the diamond is sold, the government will take a 12 per cent royalty from the proceeds. The remaining money will then be shared equally by the seven workers.

Panna has seen several similar discoveries by people working on leased land. In June, a tribal family found an 11.19-carat diamond in the area, valued at around Rs 30 lakh. The same family had also discovered a much larger 19.22-carat stone in 2024, which was sold for Rs 93 lakh at a government auction.